Liverpool have rejected a second verbal offer from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones, with the £21.7m bid falling nearly £15m short of the club’s £35m valuation for the 25-year-old midfielder. The Serie A champions’ latest proposal — 25m euros — was dismissed as inadequate, prompting growing frustration on Merseyside over Inter’s attempts to land the academy product on the cheap.
Inter had first approached Liverpool towards the end of the January transfer window with a loan-to-buy proposal, which was also turned down. This month, Piero Ausilio, Inter’s sporting director, admitted: “Curtis Jones - we are paying attention to him. We didn’t hide. We understand what the developments will be.”
“Liverpool reject second Inter Milan bid for Curtis Jones, £21.7m offer well short of £35m valuation.”
Federico Chiesa went further, telling Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that Jones had asked him what it is like to live in Italy. But despite Inter’s renewed pursuit, minimal headway has been made. Liverpool have pointed to Conor Gallagher’s £35m transfer to Tottenham Hotspur from Atletico Madrid in January as the benchmark for their valuation, and believe replacing Jones at a knockdown price would be problematic at a time when other targets — such as RB Leipzig’s £100m-rated Yan Diomande — are taking precedence.
Jones, who joined Liverpool’s academy at age nine and has registered 228 appearances since his debut in January 2019, is entering the final year of his contract at Anfield. Former head coach Arne Slot suggested in February that negotiations were underway on a fresh deal, but no talks are presently taking place, and the likelihood of an agreement seems remote. Jones is eager for increased playing time after just 18 Premier League starts last season, during which he deputised as a makeshift right-back under Slot.
Liverpool would prefer to retain Jones for the final year of his deal rather than offload him for what is considered an inadequate fee. But with Inter yet to match their valuation, and the player seeking more minutes, the stand-off leaves the midfielder’s future at Anfield hanging in the balance.