Inter Milan Intensifies Pursuit of Curtis Jones – Liverpool Stands Firm
Inter Milan have come back for Curtis Jones. Liverpool still aren’t picking up the phone unless the number starts with 4-0.
The Serie A champions have renewed their pursuit of the Liverpool midfielder as they look to bolster Simone Inzaghi’s squad before the new season, revisiting a target they first pushed for in January and again earlier this summer. The interest has never really gone away. It has just become more urgent.
Inter raise the stakes – but hit the same wall
According to The Athletic, Liverpool rejected an opening offer of around €25 million earlier in the window, responding with a firm message: Jones is valued at closer to €40 million.
Inter have since returned through intermediaries with an improved proposal of €35 million. That figure edges towards Liverpool’s valuation but still falls short, and the Premier League club are showing no appetite to compromise.
The stance is clear. Liverpool believe Jones is worth top money and are prepared to act like it.
Contract ticking down, resolve holding firm
On paper, this is the kind of situation that usually tempts a selling club. Jones is into the final year of his contract at Anfield. The clock is ticking, the leverage traditionally shifts, and buyers circle for a bargain.
Liverpool are refusing to play that game.
Club officials are understood to be ready to risk losing Jones for nothing in 2027 rather than accept what they regard as a cut‑price fee for one of their longest-serving first-team players. The message to Inter is as blunt as it sounds: meet the valuation or walk away.
There are currently no active talks over a contract extension, but Liverpool are open to fresh negotiations if the right terms can be found. Until that happens, they are treating him as a core squad member, not a distressed asset.
Gallagher deal sets the bar
Liverpool’s position is not built on sentiment alone. They have a benchmark.
Inside Anfield, Tottenham Hotspur’s €40 million signing of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid earlier this year has been cited as a reference point. If Gallagher, a fellow England international of similar profile and age bracket, commands that fee, Liverpool see no logic in accepting less for Jones.
It is a market argument as much as a football one, and Inter know exactly where the bar has been set.
Long-term admiration from Inter
Inter’s chase is anything but a sudden impulse. Their admiration for Jones stretches back months.
During the January transfer window, the Nerazzurri explored a deal built around an initial loan with an option to buy. Liverpool dismissed that proposal out of hand, unwilling to lose control of a player they still view as a valuable, flexible option in midfield.
This time, Inter have returned with a permanent transfer in mind. Fresh from another Scudetto-winning campaign and seeking to refresh a title-winning core, they see Jones as a midfielder who can slot into multiple roles, add technical quality, and grow under Inzaghi’s guidance.
So far, though, every attempt has run into the same red line.
A Liverpool education that still counts
Jones is not just another name on a squad list at Liverpool. He is a product of the club’s academy, a player who has grown up under the Anfield lights and carried the expectations that come with that pathway.
Since making his senior debut in 2019, he has racked up more than 220 appearances, chipping in with goals, assists and, crucially for modern managers, the ability to adapt. Left-sided eight, deeper playmaker, advanced midfielder – he has filled them all.
His technical assurance, ball retention and comfort in different systems have kept him relevant even as Liverpool’s midfield has been reshaped and competition has intensified. That versatility is part of why Liverpool feel no pressure to sell. It is also exactly why Inter keep coming back.
A standoff with a long season looming
For now, the situation is locked.
Liverpool want to keep Jones unless Inter hit the €40 million mark. Inter believe they have pushed closer with €35 million but not close enough to crack Liverpool’s resolve. The player sits in the middle of a valuation battle, with his future tied as much to financial principle as tactical planning.
Pre-season will move on, squads will be finalised, and windows will edge towards deadline day. The question is simple: who blinks first, the Italian champions chasing midfield reinforcements, or the English giants determined not to undersell one of their own?
