Curtis Jones Transfer Stalemate: Inter Milan vs Liverpool
Inter Milan have run head-first into Liverpool’s valuation wall over Curtis Jones – and right now, nobody is blinking.
The Serie A champions have pushed hard for the 25-year-old, who has already given the green light to a move and mentally drawn a line under his time at Anfield. Inter see him as a key summer target. Liverpool see him as a £35m asset. That gap is threatening to choke the deal.
Inter push, Liverpool refuse to budge
Inter’s pursuit has been long in the making. They first explored a deal in January, sounded out Liverpool, and left convinced Jones was a player worth returning for. This window, they did exactly that.
An opening bid of around £18m landed at Anfield at the start of last week. Liverpool brushed it aside. Inter came back with an improved package worth roughly £21m. Same answer. Rejected again, with sources describing the distance between the clubs as “significant”.
From Inter’s perspective, the reaction has been startling. From Liverpool’s, it is simple market logic.
Liverpool lean on the Premier League premium
Inside Anfield, the stance is clear. Liverpool value Jones at around £35m and believe the current English market backs them up. The explosion in fees for homegrown players – highlighted by Manchester City’s readiness to commit more than £120m on Elliot Anderson – has only strengthened their belief that this is the going rate.
Club figures point to the homegrown premium and insist Jones still carries major value despite being in the final year of his contract. He is an academy graduate, a player they rate, and they refuse to treat him as a cut‑price departure.
Inter disagree completely.
Italy questions England’s logic
On the Italian side, there is open frustration. Sources close to Inter argue that Liverpool are trying to drag Premier League economics into a negotiation where they simply do not apply.
Their case is blunt. Jones wants Inter. He is not entertaining a move elsewhere in England. There is no domestic auction, no rival Premier League club driving up the price. Without that pressure, Inter see no reason why English inflation should dictate the fee.
They also lean heavily on the contract. Twelve months left. One more season before Liverpool risk losing him for nothing. In Inter’s eyes, that weakens Liverpool’s hand far more than the Anfield hierarchy are willing to admit. A “realistic” valuation, as they see it, has to reflect that.
Player camp seeks middle ground
Inside Jones’ camp, there is sympathy with that view. Those close to the midfielder believe a fee below £30m would strike a fair balance – one that respects his quality but also recognises his contractual situation.
That figure sits closer to Inter’s thinking than Liverpool’s £35m demand. It also aligns with the player’s own urgency. Jones is understood to be genuinely excited by the idea of joining the reigning Italian champions and sees San Siro as the right stage for the next phase of his career.
His motivation is not hard to trace back to Merseyside.
Limited role under Iraola sharpens the decision
Jones’ opportunities at Liverpool have felt capped. He started just 18 Premier League games in the 2025/26 season and, under new manager Andoni Iraola, there are serious doubts over how naturally he fits.
Iraola’s high-energy, relentless style has prompted suggestions that Jones is not ideally suited to the new approach. Inside the club, he remains well respected, but he has never been a guaranteed starter and there is little expectation that his status would suddenly change.
For a 25-year-old who wants to be central, not peripheral, that matters. It has only sharpened his desire to take the Inter offer and reset his career in Serie A.
Stalemate with time ticking
So the stand-off hardens. Inter have planned this move for months and remain convinced Jones is fully committed to the transfer. Liverpool are open to selling, but only on their terms. They will not, as they see it, allow a homegrown asset to walk away at a discount just because his contract is running down.
The result is a sizeable gap in valuation, with all sides aware that the clock is ticking but no one yet prepared to fold.
Even so, this is not a dead deal. Far from it. Inter intend to keep pushing, and further talks are expected as both clubs search for a number they can live with.
Liverpool, for their part, are already braced for a broader reshaping of the squad. Jones is not the only high-profile exit they are prepared to sanction, with fresh claims of Tottenham readying a huge five-year offer for one of Arne Slot’s most trusted players.
One way or another, Liverpool’s summer is going to look different. The only question now is whether Curtis Jones’ next chapter begins under the lights of San Siro or in the final, uneasy year of a contract he no longer wants.
