These Liverpool Stars Need To Leave – For Their Own Good

Arne Slot’s title-winning Liverpool are certainly not messing about in the summer transfer window. Their potential record signing Florian Wirtz is set to pull up into the AXA Training Centre any day now, bolstering the Reds midfield for yet another upbeat Premier League campaign.

But what does this mean for the other competition in the middle of the park? The ones who helped to serve Anfield it's 20th league title, and have ridden Liverpool’s wave of glory in recent years.

🚨 It's official - Liverpool are Premier League champions!

They now have the joint-most league titles alongside Manchester United 🏆#LFC pic.twitter.com/b51AWSQxtk

— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) April 27, 2025

This includes both Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott - two players that have essentially been nurtured with the LiverBird on their chests. With each of them still in their early twenties, is there any future for them in Merseyside? Or should they embark on new adventures?

Florian Wirtz Incoming?

It has been reported that German international Florian Wirtz is set to undergo his medical this week, ahead of his costly transfer to Liverpool. The fee for his signature will cost the Reds a British record sum of £116m, leapfrogging Enzo Fernández’s 2023 move to Chelsea. The deal is set to be as lengthy as five years, taking the midfielder’s potential time with the club up to 2030.

🚨🇩🇪 Liverpool have everything planned for Florian Wirtz to arrive on Thursday and undergo medical on Friday.

The contract will be valid until June 2030 and Wirtz will be unveiled right after. ✅ pic.twitter.com/PA95bbo6ms

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 16, 2025

Wirtz is currently playing his football for Bayer Leverkusen and has been a pillar towards their success over recent years. The 22-year-old played a vital role in Leverkusen’s 2023/24 domestic double, as the club won their first ever Bundesliga title, as well as the DFB Pokal on the side.

In that radiant campaign, Wirtz managed to pick up 18 goals and 19 assists in all competitions, and was granted the Bundesliga’s Player of the Season award. This season, not only did the youngster make his Champions League debut, but also picked up a further 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions – six goals of which came in the prestigious European tournament.

(Florian Wirtz 2023/24 Stats: FotMob)

As the midfielder lines up to put on the illustrious Merseyside strip, his hefty price tag suggests that the 22-year-old will likely be one of the first names on Arne Slot’s team-sheet. Liverpool’s title winning midfield has already proved to be tricky to break into in the season just gone for both Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott. So, with this stellar signing approaching, they could be frozen out of more minutes.

The duo have only racked up 21 starts between them in the top flight this season – Elliot with just 2 of them. Whilst Jones has certainly contributed enough, the England international could definitely be a starter with the majority of Premier League sides.

Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones has in no way been forgotten at Liverpool amongst their pool of midfield excellence. The 24-year-old has managed to rack up 33 appearances in the Premier League last season, and although only 19 of them were starts, he has still impressed. The Scouser has also managed to pick up three goals and six assists this campaign, whilst featuring frequently in the EFL Cup and the Champions League.

His efforts have been rewarded with common call-ups to Thomas Tuchel’s England camps, including the most recent one in June. There is no doubt that Jones is an admired player, especially when receiving the recognition from an international perspective. However, is Liverpool the right place for him to progress with his football?

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Curtis Jones completed 97% of his passes (74/76) for England today.

- 2/3 tackles won
- Third joint-most chances created (2)
- 5/7 duels won
- 4 recoveries

England’s new right-back? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/WU8RuGaNO6

— Bence Bocsák (@BenBocsak) June 7, 2025

Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were an unstoppable force in the Premier League last season and arguably one of the best midfield partnerships in the league. With them being 26 and 23 years of age, they both still have numerous years left of being the world-beaters they are. Therefore, Curtis Jones might benefit from a fresh start somewhere else instead of the uphill battle of fighting for a spot in the Liverpool team – especially when throwing Florian Wirtz into the mix as well.

Furthermore, with the 2026 World Cup looming, it is the perfect time for Jones to show off his talents in the upcoming campaign, and he needs the spotlight on him. All three of Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa managed to bag European football for next season. Therefore, either of these could pave out a suitable destination for the Englishman. Moreover, there is no doubt that each of them will be looking to boost their squad, not only with quality, but with options to choose from for their increased number of fixtures.

Harvey Elliott

It seems to be the right time for Harvey Elliott to leave his beloved Liverpool. The 22-year-old’s minutes for Liverpool were increasing each season up until he hit this year’s roadblock. In the season before last, the youngster popped up in 53 games in all competitions - 34 in the Premier League. With this game time, he managed to find the net four times and assist 11 times, as he seemed to be emerging into a Liverpool starter in Jürgen Klopp’s final year.

(Harvey Elliot Liverpool Stats Since 2021: FotMob)

However, this last term, Elliott has stumbled upon new management. Although he missed over two months through injury, the England Under-21 only featured 28 times all season, making just two starts in the English first tier. With this, he scored just one goal in the league, with two assists. Despite still being one of the club’s youngest first team players, it is starting to appear that he may not be a big part of Arne Slot’s future plans.

Likewise to Curtis Jones, this is a huge year for the Fulham academy graduate to showcase his abilities ready for the World Cup. Elliott is yet to receive his first England cap or be called up for the senior team for that matter, but he has gained experience at international level. The youngster has been amongst the under-21 setup for three years now, even winning the U21 Euros in 2023. However, he has just never been able to make that step up and this may be due to his game time holding him back.

Congratulations 👏🏼👏🏼 To Both Curtis Jones And Harvey Elliot ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HSkX64aOfK

— David McGrady (@lfcgradyspage) July 9, 2023

Harvey Elliott should definitely be considering his options this summer, especially with Thomas Tuchel’s likening to young players and Florian Wirtz’s arrival into his favoured position. Both Aston Villa and Wolves are supposedly interested in the talent, with the latter having been reported to line up a £30 million bid. Similarly to Curtis Jones, Aston Villa would be a fantastic move for Elliott, as the West Midlands side have earned Europa League football for next season. However, Wolves could also be a beneficial transfer, as their recent loss of star-man Matheus Cunha has left a huge gap in the attacking midfield.