Inter Pursues Curtis Jones as Key Target in Rebuild
Inter have locked onto Curtis Jones as a priority target and are ready to play a long, calculated game to prise him away from Liverpool.
The Italian champions have already tested Liverpool’s resolve with a £30 million offer for the midfielder, only to be swiftly knocked back. According to Gazzetta, the message from Anfield is clear: they want closer to €40m before even thinking about selling one of their own academy products.
For Inter, that hasn’t sounded like a deterrent. It has sounded like the start of a negotiation.
Chivu’s specific request
This is not a boardroom whim. Cristian Chivu has asked for Jones by name.
At a recent strategic dinner, president Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio sat down with their new head coach to map out the next phase of the mercato. Out of that meeting came a clear instruction: strengthen the midfield with a very specific profile.
Chivu wants a “seventh” midfield option who doesn’t just rotate in, but disrupts his system in the right way – someone with the athleticism to press, the technique to keep the ball under pressure, and the versatility to slot into multiple roles. In his eyes, the 25-year-old Englishman ticks every box.
Jones’ situation at Liverpool has opened the door. Having slipped to the fringes under new manager Andoni Iraola, the midfielder has grown increasingly frustrated on Merseyside. He is open to a fresh start and, by all accounts, would welcome a move to San Siro.
English flavour in Milan
If Inter get their way, Jones will walk into a dressing room that is already preparing to welcome another England international.
The club are finalising a deal for Manchester City defender John Stones, who is undergoing medical examinations in Italy. That move, once completed, would underline Inter’s pull at the very top of the Premier League market – and create a familiar face for Jones should he follow.
But before any of that can be rubber-stamped, Inter have a different problem to solve: numbers.
Midfield clear-out before the coup
Inter’s midfield is crowded. Too crowded for another high-profile arrival without outgoings.
Davide Frattesi sits at the centre of the issue. The Italy international is pushing for an exit in search of a fresh spark for his career, yet the club have not received an offer that matches their valuation. His situation hangs over the rest of Inter’s plans.
Behind him, the hierarchy have already drawn up a list of departures. Kristjan Asllani is earmarked for a sale, while young prospect Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has already left for Monza. These are not cosmetic moves; they are essential steps to free up space and funds for Jones.
Until those pieces move, Inter’s pursuit remains a carefully staged operation rather than a full-blooded charge.
Inter’s waiting game with Liverpool
On the Liverpool side, the stance is firm for now. Homegrown, in his mid‑20s, technically polished and tactically flexible – Jones is exactly the kind of profile clubs are reluctant to lose unless the money feels irresistible.
Inter believe that firmness will soften.
Their plan is to stretch this saga deep into August. The calculation is simple: if Jones continues to sit on the periphery of Iraola’s plans while Liverpool tour Hong Kong and Perth, the dynamic may shift. Keeping a discontented academy graduate parked on the sidelines comes with its own risks, both in the dressing room and in the stands.
Inter are banking on that pressure. They expect Liverpool’s demands to edge down as the deadline looms and the reality of an unhappy squad player bites harder.
While the first-team squad jets around Asia and Australia, Marotta and Ausilio will stay in Europe, phones on, lines open. Their job is to keep the conversation alive, to be ready the moment Liverpool’s stance flickers.
Inter have identified their man. Now they are prepared to wait and see whether Liverpool blink first.
