‘Fantastic future’: John Aldridge thinks teenager will replace £25m Liverpool star

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Adam Lallana is due to become a free agent this summer but will Curtis Jones replace him in Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League-leading squad?

Liverpool starlet Curtis Jones has the talent to replace Adam Lallana at Anfield, Reds legend John Aldridge has told Sky Sports.

To say the 2019/20 season has been a dream come true for a Liverpool-born 19-year-old would be an understatement. A month after his stunning goal saw off Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup third round, Jones became the youngest captain in the club’s history as a team full of reserves pulled off a minor miracle by beating Shrewsbury Town in a hard-fought replay on Tuesday night.

Jones, who scored again in the 2-2 draw at the Meadow in late-January, produced another assured performance in the centre of the park, showcasing maturity and composure beyond his tender years with the armband clasped around his bicep.

And, with Lallana’s contract due to expire in the summer, Aldridge feels that Jones is ready to step up and replace a man who Liverpool paid £25 million for.

“I’ve been watching Curtis for some years now, since he was 15. And you could see – very much like Trent Alexander-Arnold – the potential that the lad had,” said the 1988 First Division champion.

“He is just a quality footballer with natural ability and a good arrogance. He knows he is good and he does things the right way. The lad can be a star. I’ve always known that. He’s got a fantastic future.

“It looks like Adam Lallana is leaving at the end of the season after his contract expires. This lad will save the manager a lot of money because he can step right into the squad and you can always depend on him.”

Clearly, Jones not only has the talent but the attitude to back it up. He already looks like a leader at just 19 and, after being told in pre-season that he needed to add goals to his game, the England U19 international has responded in style.

In all competitions, Jones has hit the net 16 times in 25 games for Liverpool at reserve and first-team level this season, not including the decisive spot-kick in the EFL Cup penalty shootout win against Arsenal.