Curtis Jones Set for Inter Milan Transfer Negotiations
Curtis Jones has already given his word to Inter Milan. Now Liverpool and the Serie A champions are haggling over the price of his goodbye.
The 25-year-old midfielder has accepted that his time at Anfield is drawing to a close and has set his sights on a fresh start in Italy, with sources indicating he views Inter as the perfect next step in his career. Interest from the Premier League has been real and sustained, but it has not changed his mind.
Jones chooses Italy over Premier League suitors
Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all checked in on Jones’ situation in recent months, sensing an opportunity around a homegrown player entering the final year of his contract. For clubs looking to strengthen their midfield with proven Premier League quality, he ticked almost every box.
But Jones has made it clear to those close to him: he wants Inter. He wants to test himself abroad for the first time, to swap Merseyside for Milan and step into the glare of San Siro.
That preference has effectively sidelined his domestic suitors and left the path clear for the Italian champions — if they can strike a deal with Liverpool.
A €5m gap and a hard lesson from recent exits
Right now, the two clubs are split by a relatively small number, but one loaded with principle.
Inter have put around €25m (£21m) on the table. Liverpool are holding out for closer to €30m (£25m), a figure they believe reflects Jones’ quality, experience and age, even with just a year left on his deal.
Inter see that contract situation as leverage. From their side, Liverpool’s hand is weakened: wait too long, and the player can walk away for nothing next summer. That belief has fuelled their reluctance to move significantly above their current offer.
Liverpool view it very differently. The club has already watched Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold leave on free transfers in the last 12 months, and sources insist there is a firm resolve at Anfield not to let another valuable asset run his contract down and depart for nothing.
That recent pain is driving a tougher stance. The Reds are pushing for a fee closer to their valuation, even if there is an acceptance they may ultimately have to compromise to get the deal over the line.
Chiesa’s endorsement and the pull of San Siro
Inside the Liverpool dressing room, Jones has not been short of advice on what awaits him in Serie A.
Federico Chiesa, who knows the league intimately from his Juventus days, has spoken warmly to Jones about life in Italy and what he can expect at Inter. The winger has not hidden his admiration for the midfielder’s technical level and the fit he sees with the Italian champions.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Chiesa revealed: “Jones just asked me what life is like in Italy. I told him it’s great and the weather is better than Liverpool, which, aside from that, is a special place.
“Jones is really strong technically. Inter are right to think about him.”
Those words only reinforce a growing sense around the deal: Jones’ future is tilting towards San Siro.
Liverpool brace for change under Iraola
Inside Anfield, there is a recognition that the timing is right for a parting of ways.
Earlier in his career, Liverpool would have preferred to build around Jones, not sell him. But the player’s desire for a new challenge, the contractual reality and a wider squad rebuild under new head coach Andoni Iraola have all converged.
Liverpool’s midfield plans are already well advanced. The club has been actively assessing reinforcements as part of a broader reshaping of the squad, with Jones’ likely departure factored into that thinking. The focus is on ensuring they are not left short if and when the deal with Inter is completed.
Negotiations between the clubs remain active, with optimism on both sides that a compromise can be reached. The gap is not insurmountable; it is a question of who blinks first.
For Jones, the situation is clearer. His decision is made. He is ready to trade the rain of Merseyside for the glare of Milan, to become the latest English player to gamble on Serie A and to find out whether his game belongs on one of European football’s grandest stages.
