Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has just a year left to run on his contract, and the 25-year-old resistant to efforts to negotiate an extension there has been a widespread belief that the boyhood Red would depart the club this summer going back for some time now.
The arrival of Andoni Iraola as the new head coach doesn’t seem to have changed the equation, either, with rumours continuing to link Jones with a move to Inter Milan after the Serie A side nearly sealed a deal to sign the midfielder back
in January only for Liverpool to pull the plug over depth concerns.
According to the latest reports out of Italy, though, the sides remain some ways apart on valuation, with Inter having formally submitted an opening bid of around £17M. For their part, Liverpool are said to be holding out for a base fee of around £25M.
In addition to that, Liverpool are seeking further add-ons and a sell-on clause to protect themselves should Jones establish himself as a top player in Serie A and perhaps seek another move in the near future. Put it all together and that’s a gap between the sides that seems really quite significant.
Still, it’s clear if Jones wants out the Reds aren’t in the strongest negotiating position, and Inter’s stance—and the making of a bid well short of what Liverpool want—signal the Italian club see themselves as the clear top option for Jones and think there’s a bargain to be had.
Jones made 49 appearances and played nearly 3,000 minutes for Liverpool last season, which would seem to put lie to any suggestion he is seeking a move for playing time and hints at the situation perhaps being closer to that of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
If Jones wants out and big minutes and a new, heavy-pressing head coach aren’t enough to convince him his future lies on Merseyside, the only thing Liverpool can do is push for the best possible deal from Inter—while knowing that in this case, best possible may still fall short of their valuation.
