Curtis Jones Transfer: Inter Targets £30m Deal with Liverpool

Inter have reopened talks with Liverpool over Curtis Jones, with the Italian champions ready to test Anfield’s resolve around the £30m mark for the 25-year-old midfielder.

The Serie A side have tracked Jones since January and already saw a €25m offer rejected in June. Liverpool set their valuation closer to €40m at that stage, but the landscape has shifted. Jones is now into the final year of his contract, no extension is in sight, and the Merseyside club know that figure is unlikely to be met.

The latest push has come via intermediaries working on Inter’s behalf. They approached Liverpool in July with a proposal that could rise to €35m (£30m). Formal negotiations between the clubs began on Wednesday. There is no agreement yet, but if Inter do reach the €35m level being discussed, Liverpool are expected to give the green light to a sale.

Inside the Italian club, last week’s €35m deal with Tottenham for Djed Spence has effectively set the benchmark. If Spence is worth that outlay, Inter’s hierarchy believe Jones sits in the same financial bracket.

For Liverpool, the decision carries more weight than a standard transfer call. Jones is a homegrown player, a Toxteth-born midfielder who joined the club at nine and came through the academy with the expectations that brings. He has broken into the England squad, winning six caps, yet has never fully nailed down a permanent starting spot at Anfield.

That lack of a guaranteed role told last season. Under Arne Slot, Jones often cut a frustrated figure, in and out of the side and unable to build sustained rhythm in midfield.

Andoni Iraola, who has since replaced Slot as head coach, used his unveiling to underline how much he values the local core of the squad. He spoke about the importance of keeping players like Jones and maintaining a Liverpool identity on the pitch.

Now the new manager’s wishes collide with hard business reality. Inter are pushing, the player can walk away for nothing next summer, and Liverpool must decide whether sentiment and local roots can outweigh a substantial offer in a market where homegrown talent rarely comes cheap.