Curtis Jones Set to Join Inter Milan Amid Liverpool Negotiations
Curtis Jones has made up his mind. Now it is down to Liverpool and Inter Milan to stop arguing over a few million euros.
The England international has already committed to joining the Serie A champions, with sources indicating he sees his time at Anfield as effectively over and views Inter as the ideal next step in his career. At 25, with his development stalling on Merseyside, he wants a new stage and a new league.
Premier League interest has not been in short supply. Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all checked on his situation in recent months, sensing an opportunity around a talented midfielder edging towards the final year of his contract. Jones, though, has been clear with those close to him: he wants Italy, he wants Inter, and he wants to test himself abroad for the first time.
That clarity from the player has not yet translated into a deal. The two clubs remain locked in negotiations, separated by a valuation gap that neither side has been willing to close so far. Inter have put around €25m (£21m) on the table. Liverpool are holding out for closer to €30m (£25m), convinced that figure reflects Jones’ quality, experience and age.
From Inter’s perspective, the leverage lies in the calendar. Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and the Italian champions believe that weakens Liverpool’s hand. They are reluctant to move significantly beyond their current offer for a player they could, in theory, negotiate with freely in a matter of months.
Liverpool see it very differently.
Bruised by recent departures, the club are determined not to repeat what they now regard as costly errors. Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold have both left on free transfers in the last 12 months, and those inside Anfield insist there is little appetite to lose another valuable asset for nothing. That recent history is driving Liverpool’s stance: push for a fee close to their valuation now, even if compromise is inevitable later in the window.
Behind the scenes, there is an acceptance that Jones’ journey at Liverpool has reached its natural conclusion. While the club would once have preferred to build around him, they now recognise his desire for a fresh challenge and the appeal of becoming a central figure at a European giant rather than a rotational option in a squad being reshaped under new boss Andoni Iraola.
The pull of Italy has not come from nowhere. Federico Chiesa, now Jones’ teammate at club level, has played a quiet but notable role. The former Juventus star has spoken warmly to Jones about life in Serie A and what awaits him at San Siro.
“Jones just asked me what life is like in Italy. I told him it’s great and the weather is better than Liverpool, which, aside from that, is a special place,” Chiesa told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Jones is really strong technically. Inter are right to think about him.”
Those words mirror the growing expectation across Europe that Jones’ future lies in Milan. Inter see a technically gifted, tactically flexible midfielder entering his prime years, available at a price they consider opportunistic given his contract status. Liverpool see a homegrown player who has come through their system, contributed in big moments, and should not be allowed to walk away on the cheap.
For now, the talks continue. There is optimism on both sides that a compromise will be found, with neither club wanting a prolonged stand-off to overshadow their summer planning. Liverpool are already deep into their midfield rebuild under Iraola, assessing multiple options as part of a wider squad refresh. Inter, meanwhile, are keen to add depth and quality to a title-winning group without breaking their financial structure.
Jones waits, ready to swap Merseyside for Milan, ready to join the growing list of English players testing themselves in Serie A. The decision has been made. The only question left is whether Liverpool and Inter are prepared to let a €5m gap stand in the way of a move that now feels inevitable.
