Inter Targets Curtis Jones as Summer Transfer Priority

Inter have drawn a clear line through their summer plans and written one name in bold at the top: Curtis Jones.

The Serie A champions have already tested Liverpool’s resolve with a £30 million bid for the midfielder, only to be knocked back. According to Gazzetta, Liverpool made their stance plain – they will only come to the table for a figure closer to €40m for their academy product.

For Inter, that isn’t the end of the conversation. It’s the start.

Chivu’s request, Marotta’s mission

This is not a speculative move or an opportunistic punt on an unsettled player. Jones has been specifically requested by Cristian Chivu.

At a recent strategic dinner, president Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio sat down with their head coach to map out the next phase of the mercato. Out of that meeting came a clear instruction: go and get Jones.

Chivu wants a very particular profile in midfield – a disruptive, seventh option in his structure, someone who can break patterns, carry the ball, and add a different rhythm to Inter’s established core. In his eyes, the 25-year-old Englishman fits that brief better than anyone else on the market.

Jones’ situation at Liverpool only sharpens Inter’s interest. Pushed to the fringes under new manager Andoni Iraola, the midfielder has grown increasingly frustrated with his role on Merseyside. A player who once looked like a long-term pillar of Liverpool’s midfield now finds himself watching more than influencing.

The idea of San Siro, of a fresh start in Italy, appeals. Those close to the situation say Jones would welcome the move.

English flavour in Milan

If Inter get their way, Jones will not be walking into an unfamiliar dressing room for an Englishman abroad.

The club are already finalising a deal for Manchester City defender John Stones, who is undergoing medical examinations in Italy. That move, once complete, would add Premier League experience and a familiar voice for Jones in the Inter camp.

It also underlines the ambition of Marotta and Ausilio. This is not a summer of cheap patches. It is a targeted push to refine a title-winning squad with high-level, tactically flexible players.

Midfield logjam that must be cleared

There is, however, a hard reality Inter cannot ignore: the numbers in midfield simply do not add up.

The squad is bloated in the middle of the pitch, and the board know they must sell before they can land Jones. Outgoings are not a preference. They are a prerequisite.

Davide Frattesi is the most pressing case. The Italy international wants out, eager to restart a career that has stalled in the shadows of more established names. Inter, though, have yet to receive an offer that matches their valuation. Until that changes, his situation hangs over every incoming discussion.

Kristjan Asllani is also on the list of players Inter are prepared to move on, a sacrifice to balance both minutes and money. Young prospect Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has already gone, joining Monza to clear one more seat in a crowded department.

Only when those pieces shift can Inter realistically bring Jones through the door.

Inter’s waiting game with Liverpool

Inter know Liverpool’s price. Liverpool know Inter’s interest is serious. The gap between the two is where this saga will be played.

Inside the club, there is a belief that time can become their ally. Inter are ready to be patient, to drag this pursuit into late August if necessary, banking on the pressure of the window and the player’s situation to soften Liverpool’s stance.

From Milan’s perspective, Liverpool run a risk. Keep a homegrown player like Jones parked on the sidelines for too long and the relationship can fray. Allow that frustration to grow while a major European club stands ready with a proposal, and the dynamic shifts.

Inter think that dynamic will eventually force a compromise.

While the first-team squad crosses continents on a pre-season tour through Hong Kong and Perth, the real work on this deal will be done elsewhere. Marotta and Ausilio will stay in Europe, fully locked in on negotiations, keeping the lines with Liverpool open and active.

They have identified their man. They have a coach pushing for him. They have a plan to make space and a strategy to bend the price.

Now the question is simple: who blinks first, Liverpool or Inter?