Inter Milan's Pursuit of Curtis Jones Stalls Over Fee

Inter Milan’s long courtship of Curtis Jones is stalling, not because the Serie A champions have lost interest, but because Liverpool refuse to budge on price.

The 25-year-old midfielder is about to enter the final year of his contract at Anfield. Liverpool are open to a sale rather than risk losing an academy product for nothing next summer, yet they have made it clear they will not sanction a cut-price exit.

Inter tested that stance. They first moved in January, pushing for a loan with an option to buy, only to be rebuffed outright. The message then was firm. It still is.

Talks between the clubs have continued in recent weeks, with Inter returning to the table with a permanent offer. Their latest bid, €25m (around £21.7m), went the same way as the winter proposal: rejected. Liverpool value Jones closer to £35m and have shown no inclination to climb down.

The gap has become public. Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio did not hide his admiration for the player, or his frustration with the numbers.

“I’ve never denied that we like Curtis Jones,” he said. “He has the qualities that could give us something extra. But there’s a significant gap between our valuation and Liverpool’s.

“Liverpool have every right to ask for what they believe is a fair price, and we have every right to decide whether that works for us or not. As things stand, I’d say it’s very difficult.”

Those last three words cut through the noise. Very difficult. For a deal that has been simmering for months, it sounds uncomfortably close to the end of the road.

Jones, meanwhile, sits at the centre of a crowded midfield market. He is not short of admirers, but he is not short of options to turn down either. He is believed to have little interest in joining Nottingham Forest, despite their search for a midfielder after Elliot Anderson’s blockbuster £116m move to Manchester City.

Forest’s need is clear. Jones’ willingness is not.

Aston Villa and Arsenal have also been linked, both clubs looking to refine already strong midfields with players who can operate between the lines and keep the ball under pressure. Jones fits that profile, homegrown and entering what should be his prime years.

For Liverpool, that combination is exactly why they are holding their line. For Inter, it is why they came calling in the first place.

Right now, though, admiration does not pay the fee. Unless someone blinks, Jones’ next pass may still be played in front of the Kop rather than the Curva Nord.