Some departures take you by surprise.
Others feel like they’ve been building for a while, until the moment where everyone can see which direction things are heading.
This is one of those situations.
A player who came through the ranks at his hometown club, now finding himself at a crossroads that only points one way.
Aston Villa prepare concrete move for Liverpool academy graduate as Anfield exit looms
According to TEAMtalk, Curtis Jones is preparing to leave Liverpool this summer, with Aston Villa readying a concrete move for the 25-year-old midfielder.
Contract talks between Jones and the club have stalled.
With just over 12 months remaining on his current deal, sources indicate he’s now braced for a departure from the club he’s called home his entire career.
The two clubs aren’t strangers in the transfer market either.
Villa and Liverpool struck a deal last summer involving Harvey Elliott, and despite that move not fully going to plan, relations between the clubs remain intact.
Which could make negotiations smoother when the window opens.
Jones has contributed two goals and two assists across 43 appearances for Liverpool this season.
Respectable numbers for a player who has often been asked to operate in different roles depending on what the team needed.
However, not the kind of output that makes his departure unthinkable.
The bigger picture at Anfield this summer is one of significant midfield upheaval.
Both Jones and Alexis Mac Allister are among the players most likely to leave as Arne Slot looks to reshape the centre of the park ahead of next season.
Losing Jones would mark the end of a chapter that carries real emotional weight for the club.
A player who was in the stands as a supporter before he was on the pitch as a professional.
But football moves quickly, and with his contract winding down and talks having stalled, the path of least resistance is becoming clearer by the day.
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