Curtis Jones seemed to take a little jab at Arne Slot in his farewell message after their supposed disagreement.
Curtis Jones might have taken a small jab at former Liverpool manager Arne Slot in his farewell message.
Just over a year after leading Liverpool to the Premier League title, Slot was let go at the end of the 2025/26 season. After a fantastic first year, Slot struggled to meet expectations in his second season, with Liverpool finishing fifth in the league.
Many were surprised when the club announced Slot’s sacking and quickly began searching for a new manager. Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) said in a statement, “This was a tough decision for us as a club. Arne’s time at Liverpool was meaningful, brought success, and was important to both fans and the club.”
After Slot’s departure, several players thanked him for his leadership and wished him well. However, in his goodbye message, Liverpool midfielder Jones seemed to hint at some tension between them, amid rumors they didn’t always see eye to eye this season.
Jones wrote on Instagram, “Thank you and all the best for the future. Respect you as a man for what you did for our club.” While this sounds polite, fans on social media think there might be more to it.
One fan said, “The ‘respect you as a man’ part feels like a dig.” Another added, “It sounds like ‘I wasn’t sure about you as a coach, but you’re a good person.’” And another wrote, “I think this is the most honest post — he respects him as a man, not as a coach.”
During Slot’s second season, there were talks about his mixed relationship with Jones, sparking rumors that the midfielder might leave Liverpool this summer. As Jones enters the final year of his contract, Serie A team Inter Milan is reportedly very interested and has already talked with both Liverpool and the player.
Liverpool reportedly want around £35 million for Jones, but Inter seems hesitant to pay that much. With Slot gone, some wonder if Jones might stay at Liverpool for a while longer or still make the move.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says Jones is still “totally open” to joining Inter this summer. He explained on YouTube, “The relationship between Curtis Jones and Arne Slot wasn’t great — not personally, where there was respect, but because Jones wasn’t getting much playing time. That’s why he thought about leaving Liverpool for Inter back in January.”
Romano added, “With a new coach coming in, we’ll see what happens. Iraola will give a clearer picture. Inter are still interested, and Jones wants to have this experience in Italy, like McTominay at Napoli, who came from the Premier League and could become a star in Italy.”