Inter’s Pursuit of Curtis Jones Hits a Wall as Liverpool Stands Firm
Inter Milan’s pursuit of Curtis Jones has hit a wall, and Liverpool have made it clear they have no intention of lowering the price to help them over it.
The Serie A champions have tracked the midfielder for months, sensing an opportunity as he moves into the final year of his contract at Anfield. Liverpool are open to a sale rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer. That part is simple. The numbers are not.
Inter tested the water again recently with an offer of €25m (around £21.7m). Liverpool barely blinked. Their valuation sits closer to £35m, and they have shown no appetite to budge.
This is not a new flirtation. Inter first tried to bring in Jones in January, pushing for a loan with an option to buy. Liverpool rejected that outright, unwilling to lose a homegrown player on what they saw as a cut‑price pathway out of the club. The Italians did not walk away then, and they have kept the conversation alive in recent weeks. But the tone has now shifted.
On Thursday, Inter director Piero Ausilio publicly acknowledged what the negotiations have been hinting at.
“I’ve never denied that we like Curtis Jones,” he said. “He has the qualities that could give us something extra. But there’s a significant gap between our valuation and Liverpool’s.
“Liverpool have every right to ask for what they believe is a fair price, and we have every right to decide whether that works for us or not. As things stand, I’d say it’s very difficult.”
Those words land like a cooling statement. Inter admire the player. They rate his technique, his versatility, his ability to carry the ball through midfield. But admiration has its limits when the fee climbs into Premier League territory.
For Liverpool, the calculation is different. Jones is 25, a product of their academy, and counts as homegrown in squad registration. Even if he is not a guaranteed starter, that profile carries a premium in the current market. They are prepared to sell, but only on their terms.
The player’s own stance is shaping the landscape as well. Jones is believed not to be keen on a move to Nottingham Forest, who are searching for a midfielder after agreeing to sell Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m. Forest can offer minutes and responsibility, but the project does not appeal enough to persuade him.
Interest from higher up the table complicates matters further. Aston Villa and Arsenal have both been linked during this window, clubs that can offer European football and a very different competitive horizon. No bids from those sides have been reported at Liverpool’s asking price, yet their presence in the conversation allows the Reds to hold their line.
So Inter wait. Or walk away.
Right now, Ausilio’s words suggest the latter is more likely unless something gives — Liverpool’s valuation, Inter’s budget, or Jones’s options. One year left on a contract always invites drama. This one may run until the final weeks of the window, with a simple question hanging over it: who blinks first?
