Inter Milan Intensifies Pursuit of Curtis Jones as Liverpool's Stance Shifts

Inter Milan’s pursuit of Curtis Jones has moved from background noise to a persistent drumbeat, with growing confidence in Italy that the Liverpool midfielder will be prised away from Anfield before the window closes.

The Serie A champions have tracked Jones since January, testing Liverpool’s resolve with multiple bids and refusing to walk away even after repeated knock-backs. Their latest offer, around €25million, was rejected, with Inter initially briefing that they would not go any higher for a player entering the final 12 months of his deal.

That line has not held.

Intermediaries involved in the talks have kept the move alive and are now working on a fresh proposal worth roughly €30million, a structure designed to finally crack Liverpool’s resistance and break the deadlock.

Liverpool have consistently valued Jones closer to €35m / £30m, a figure they feel reflects both his age and the inflation of the Premier League market. Yet there is a growing sense among those close to the negotiations that the club’s position is no longer immovable. If the numbers edge towards their valuation and the deal is clean, there is an expectation they could bend.

Iraola’s dilemma: admire him or move him on

New head coach Andoni Iraola is not pushing Jones towards the exit. Far from it. He is known to be a strong admirer of the academy graduate and, on a purely footballing level, would prefer to keep him as part of his first Liverpool squad.

But Iraola is also a realist. Sources indicate he has made it clear internally that if Jones is going to be sold, it needs to happen quickly. He does not want a saga creeping towards deadline day, complicating his plans and leaving little time to reshape the midfield.

On the player’s side, the door is open. Jones is understood to be receptive to the idea of joining Inter, a club that can offer a leading role in a title-chasing side and Champions League football. Contract talks with Liverpool are not currently active, a silence that only strengthens the feeling that this summer may be the natural point for both parties to go their separate ways.

His situation came under sharper focus after Liverpool’s recent pre-season win over Wrexham. The performance mattered. So did what happened after the whistle.

Armband flashpoint adds fuel to transfer fire

Sources close to Liverpool have acknowledged a brief on-field flare-up involving Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai and Kostas Tsimikas at full-time. The disagreement was not about tactics or effort. It was about the captain’s armband.

When Szoboszlai was substituted, he passed the armband to Tsimikas rather than to Jones. Those familiar with the incident say Jones was left frustrated by the decision, a small slight in the moment that carried symbolic weight for a player already facing questions over his status and future.

Inside the club, Liverpool are downplaying the episode. Their view is that it should not be framed as a serious dressing-room issue or a trigger for any transfer. Still, in the middle of a tense window and with Inter circling, the flashpoint has inevitably added oxygen to speculation around Jones.

Inter eye second England international coup

Having already secured John Stones this summer, Inter are pushing hard to make Jones their second England international signing of the window. For a club that has rebuilt itself on smart recruitment and strong dressing-room profiles, adding a 23-year-old Premier League midfielder with European experience fits neatly into their strategy.

The message from Milan is clear: they are serious, they are patient, and they are edging closer to Liverpool’s demands.

The next move belongs to Liverpool and Jones. Does he fight to convince a new coach he should be central to the project at Anfield, or does he cross the continent to become a key piece in Simone Inzaghi’s machine?

The clock is ticking on an answer.