Curtis Jones Edges Closer to Anfield Exit as Inter Milan Intensifies Pursuit

Inter Milan’s pursuit of Curtis Jones has moved from polite interest to something far more insistent, with growing belief inside the Italian club that Liverpool will eventually crack. The midfielder, for his part, is no longer seen as a passive observer. He is ready to push.

What began with a series of rebuffed enquiries in January has become one of the window’s most intriguing slow-burn sagas. Inter have never gone away, keeping a steady line open to Liverpool all summer despite being told “no” more than once.

Their latest offer – €25m – went the same way. Straight back. Liverpool rejected it, and Inter initially dug in, briefing that they would not go higher for a player entering the final 12 months of his deal.

That stance has not lasted.

Inter up the ante

Inter’s negotiators, helped by intermediaries close to both clubs, have kept the talks alive and are now working on a new proposal worth around €30m. It is an attempt to break a deadlock that has lasted for months but now feels fragile.

Liverpool have consistently valued Jones closer to €35m, roughly £30m, and inside Anfield that figure is viewed as fair in a Premier League market where homegrown, versatile midfielders carry a premium.

Yet there is a growing sense that the line may not be as rigid as it once was. Those involved in the discussions increasingly believe Liverpool could soften if the structure of the deal suits them and the dialogue continues to move in the right direction.

Inter sense that shift. They believe the timing is theirs to exploit.

Iraola’s dilemma: admiration vs clarity

New head coach Andoni Iraola complicates the picture. He is a genuine admirer of Jones, values his ability to operate across midfield, and understands exactly what it means to keep an academy product who knows Anfield inside out.

Ideally, he would keep him.

But Iraola is also a coach who wants clarity. Internally, he has made it plain: if Jones is going to be sold, it must not become a late-window circus. He wants the situation resolved quickly so he can plan the shape and hierarchy of his midfield without a cloud hanging over it.

That urgency matters. It gives Inter a clear window.

Jones, meanwhile, is no longer portrayed as a player clinging to his boyhood club. He is understood to be open to the move, open to a new league, open to the idea of a fresh start in Milan. Contract talks with Liverpool are not on the table right now, and that silence speaks loudly. For many inside the game, this summer looks like a natural breaking point for both sides.

A flashpoint after Wrexham

If the debate over his future needed more fuel, it arrived in an unexpected place: a pre-season game against Wrexham.

After Liverpool’s win, cameras picked up a sharp on-field disagreement involving Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas once the final whistle had gone. The club has played down the incident, but the clip travelled quickly and the context around Jones made it impossible to ignore.

The flashpoint centred on the captain’s armband. When Szoboszlai was substituted, he passed the armband to Tsimikas instead of Jones. Those close to the situation say Jones was left frustrated by that decision, feeling overlooked in a moment that carries symbolic weight for any senior player, let alone one who has come through the academy.

Liverpool sources insist it is not a major dressing-room problem and are keen to frame it as a minor, heat-of-the-moment disagreement. Inside a competitive squad, that is probably true. Yet in a summer when his future is already under the microscope, it has inevitably sharpened the focus on where Jones fits in the club’s leadership and long-term plans.

Inter, watching from afar, will not have missed the optics.

Inter’s England project

From Milan’s perspective, the story has a different flavour. Having already secured John Stones, Inter are pushing to make Jones their second England international of the window. It is a clear statement of intent: a Serie A powerhouse targeting Premier League-hardened talent to drive another tilt at domestic and European honours.

The potential fee, around €30m if they can reach agreement, would represent a sizeable outlay but one Inter believe can be justified by age, profile and upside. A technical midfielder, schooled in Liverpool’s pressing and possession demands, stepping into a side built to dominate in Italy and compete deep into the Champions League – the fit, on paper, is easy to sell.

The question now sits squarely with Liverpool. Do they hold the line on valuation and risk losing Jones for less – or even for nothing – down the road? Or do they accept that the moment to cash in on a player hovering outside the nailed-on starting XI has arrived?

Inter are convinced the door is starting to open.

If they are right, an academy story at Anfield is about to close, and a new chapter in Milan is waiting for Curtis Jones to walk through it.