Curtis Jones Transfer Saga: Inter Milan vs Liverpool

Inter Milan’s pursuit of Curtis Jones has run straight into a brick wall of Liverpool steel, with the Italian champions stunned by the Reds’ price tag and a tense stand-off now gripping one of the summer’s most intriguing transfer sagas.

A Deal the Player Wants, a Price Inter Don’t

Jones has already given his approval to the move. In his mind, his Liverpool chapter is closing. He wants Inter, he wants Serie A, and he wants San Siro.

Inter have treated him as a priority target since January, when they first explored a deal and opened talks. That winter move never materialised, but their interest never cooled. This summer, they came back with intent.

Their opening bid, worth around £18m (€21m, $24m), was knocked back quickly. The response from Liverpool was blunt. Not enough. Inter returned with an improved offer of roughly £21m (€24m, $28m). Same answer. Rejected.

Behind the scenes, the word is that the gap between the clubs remains “significant”.

Liverpool Dig In

Liverpool’s position is clear and, in their eyes, justified. They want around £35m (€40m, $46m) for a player they still see as a high-quality, homegrown asset, even with only 12 months left on his contract.

Anfield figures point straight at the current English market, inflated again by big spending at the top end, including Manchester City’s plans to splash over £120m on Elliot Anderson. If that is the going rate for young English talent, Liverpool believe their valuation of Jones is simply in line with reality.

They also lean on the homegrown premium. Jones is a Liverpool academy graduate, an England-qualified midfielder with years of top-flight and European experience. In their view, the final year of his contract does not erase that value.

They are open to selling. They are not open to what they see as a cut-price exit.

Inter Push Back

Inter see it very differently.

From the Italian side, Liverpool’s insistence on Premier League market logic feels out of step with the actual situation. There is no domestic auction here. Jones is not shopping himself around England. He wants Italy. He wants Inter.

Without a bidding war, Inter argue, there is no reason to pay an inflated “Premier League tax”.

They also stress the contract. With only 12 months left, they believe Liverpool’s negotiating position is far weaker than the Anfield hierarchy are willing to accept. For Inter, that should drag the price down, not keep it pinned to English benchmarks.

Inside the club, the feeling is that a more realistic figure is needed if this is ever going to get done.

The Player in the Middle

Jones and his camp sit between these two hard lines, but their stance leans closer to Inter’s side of the argument.

Those close to the player believe a fee below £30m (€34.5m, $46m) would be a fair compromise, one that reflects both his quality and his contract situation. That number lands much nearer to Inter’s view than Liverpool’s current demands.

What is not in doubt is the player’s desire. Jones is understood to be genuinely excited by the prospect of joining the reigning Italian champions. He sees Inter as the right stage and the right style for the next phase of his career.

His situation at Liverpool only reinforces that feeling. He started just 18 Premier League games in the 2025/26 season, and there is a growing sense that his attributes do not perfectly match the high-energy, relentless approach favoured by new manager Andoni Iraola.

Inside the club, Jones is respected. But he is not a guaranteed starter, and there is little expectation that his role will suddenly expand under Iraola. For a 25-year-old entering what should be his prime years, that is a problem.

Hence the pull of San Siro grows stronger.

A Stand-Off With Time Ticking

So the stage is set. Inter have planned this move for months and remain convinced Jones wants the transfer. The player has made his preference known. Liverpool, for their part, are prepared to sell but refuse to bow to what they consider a below-market offer for one of their own.

The clock on Jones’ contract keeps ticking, and the difference in valuations remains sizeable. Yet nobody is walking away.

Inter will keep pushing. Liverpool will keep holding their line until someone blinks or the numbers edge closer together. Jones, caught in the middle, waits for the two clubs to bridge a gap that, for now, defines his future.

And at Anfield, his situation is not unique. Jones is just one of several significant departures Liverpool are ready to sanction, with fresh claims of Tottenham preparing a mega-money five-year proposal for one of Arne Slot’s most trusted players hinting that this could be a summer of real upheaval on Merseyside.