Curtis Jones Joins Inter Milan from Liverpool for £30m
Inter Milan have completed the signing of Curtis Jones from Liverpool in a £30m (€35m) deal, drawing a firm line under one of Anfield’s longest-running academy stories.
Liverpool will receive a guaranteed £25.7m, with a further £4.28m tied to add-ons, while a 10 per cent sell-on clause has been written into the agreement. For a player who joined the club at nine and leaves at 23, it is both business and a goodbye that cuts deep.
A homegrown era ends
Jones departs with just a year left on his contract, ending a 16-year spell that took him from local hopeful to first-team regular and, eventually, title winner. He made his senior debut in the 2018/19 season and went on to play 228 times for Liverpool, scoring 22 goals.
His medal collection is not that of a fringe player. Two Premier League titles. Two Carabao Cups. A Club World Cup. An FA Cup. A Champions League final appearance in 2022. He leaves as a fully formed product of Liverpool’s system, and as proof that the academy pathway still works at the very top level.
Jones becomes the third England international to join Inter in this window, following John Stones and Djed Spence to Cristian Chivu’s squad. Inter are not just shopping in England; they are building around it.
Iraola loses a trusted lieutenant
For Andoni Iraola, the timing is awkward. The new Liverpool head coach wanted to keep Jones and said so, but the club’s broader squad and contract strategy pointed in a different direction.
Jones featured 49 times under former boss Arne Slot last season, 34 of those in a turbulent Premier League title defence. He shared minutes with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, and even plugged gaps at right-back when required. He was, at times, the glue.
Now Iraola must reshape without him. The Basque coach plans to lean on a 4-2-3-1, with Florian Wirtz operating in his preferred No 10 role. That decision compresses the space in midfield: Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Gravenberch are effectively fighting for two deeper positions in front of the back four.
The pressure on that trio just went up.
Wataru Endo offers experience and control, while 19-year-old Trey Nyoni has surged into contention after an eye-catching pre-season. Iraola has already talked up Nyoni’s chances of stepping into the gap Jones leaves behind. It is a bold endorsement, and it may need to be backed by minutes.
Liverpool, though, now have £30m burning a hole in the balance sheet. Do they trust what they have, or does that money go straight back into the market for another midfielder?
Transfer priorities shift wide, not central
For months, Liverpool’s recruitment gaze has been fixed on the flanks. Their long-standing priority this window has been adding firepower in wide areas, not rebuilding the middle of the pitch.
Two bids have already gone in for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, the latest worth £60m, and both have been rejected. The interest has not gone away. Nor has the ambition: Liverpool are also pursuing Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, though the European champions value him at a staggering £145m.
Cody Gakpo, meanwhile, is on Tottenham’s radar, but Liverpool do not want to sell. Not right now. Not with so many moving pieces already on the board.
So Jones leaves at a moment when Liverpool are trying to stretch the pitch, not tighten the centre. His exit may force a rethink, or it may simply accelerate Nyoni’s rise and Endo’s importance.
“I came here as a kid… I’m leaving as a man”
Jones marked his departure with a long, heartfelt message to the club and supporters, underlining just how much of his life has been wrapped up in Liverpool.
“After 16 years, it's time to say goodbye.
“I came here as a kid with a dream of playing for Liverpool, and I've been lucky enough to actually live that dream.
“This club is all I've ever known. I came here as a kid and I'm leaving as a man with a family of my own, which probably puts into perspective just how much of my life I've spent here.
“So much has happened during my time here, both on and off the pitch. I've made my debut, won trophies, made memories I'll never forget, and I've become a dad.
“Having my daughter while I've been here makes it even more special because Liverpool isn't just part of my story any more, it's part of my family's story too.
“I want to thank everyone in the academy who believed in me and helped me get to where I am today. There are people here who have known me since I was a kid and literally watched me grow up.
“Thank you to every manager and coach I've worked with for trusting me, giving me opportunities and always pushing me to become better.
“And a massive thank you to everyone behind the scenes - the physios, medical team, kit staff, chefs, analysts, security, media team, grounds staff and everyone else who makes this place what it is.
“To all the lads I've shared a dressing room with over the years, thank you. I've played with some unbelievable players and made friendships that I know I'll have for life.
“Thank you to the fans that stuck by me and always supported me. I will always be one of you.
“Now it's time for a new challenge and a new chapter for me and my family, and I'm excited for what's ahead.
“But Liverpool will always be a massive part of me. I came here as a kid with a dream and I'm leaving having lived it. So genuinely, to everyone who has played any part in my 16 years here, thank you. I'll never forget it.
“YNWA.”
The words read like a full stop. Inter get a versatile, battle-tested midfielder stepping into his prime. Liverpool lose a homegrown constant, gain financial flexibility, and hand a little more responsibility to youth.
The next time Curtis Jones walks out at Anfield, it will be in different colours. How Liverpool’s midfield looks by then will say plenty about whether this was just good business, or a gamble that reshaped a season.
