Inter Milan Close In on Curtis Jones as Liverpool Edges Toward £30m Deal

Inter Milan are closing in on a deal worth €35m (£30m) for Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, according to BBC Sport. The two clubs appear to have finally found common ground after months of haggling over a player who has spent 16 of his 25 years at Liverpool.

Liverpool have been open to selling Jones throughout the window but held firm on their asking price. They rejected a verbal offer of €25m in June, turned down an improved bid of about £27m in July, and dismissed a third informal proposal of €32m that fell short of their valuation by roughly €8m. Now, BBC Sport reports that a £30m package — the same fee Inter paid Tottenham for defender Djed Spence this summer — will likely be enough to get the deal done.

Sources in Italy believe a verbal agreement is already in place, though both clubs acknowledge that further details still need discussion. Gazzetta dello Sport reported on 18 August that Inter are preparing a €30m offer, while This Is Anfield noted two days earlier that Jones is doing everything he can to push the move through.

Jones joined Liverpool's academy at the age of nine. He made his senior debut under Jurgen Klopp in 2019 and has since racked up 228 appearances for the club. Last season he played 49 times across all competitions but started only 18 Premier League matches under Arne Slot — a sign that his role was shrinking even as his commitment to the badge was never in question.

The contract situation sharpens the logic for all parties. Jones has one year left on his current deal and, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, has been stalling on signing an extension. Liverpool.com reports that Inter's hierarchy never viewed Liverpool's £35m asking price as acceptable, which explains the slow dance toward a middle figure. Gazzetta also reports that Jones feels like an outsider at Liverpool and has not featured in pre-season friendlies.

If the deal goes through, Jones would become the third English player to join Inter this summer, following John Stones and Djed Spence. Gazzetta notes that Inter have never truly left Jones's radar — the midfielder has frequently engaged with the club on social media, sending what the Italian press describe as transfer signals.

The journey to this point has not been straightforward. Inter proposed a loan with a view to a permanent transfer back in January; Liverpool said no. In early July, BBC Sport reported that Jones was reluctant to join Nottingham Forest and that Inter remained unable to meet Liverpool's valuation, raising the possibility he would stay put. By the end of July, The Guardian reported Inter were willing to raise their offer to €35m — the figure that now looks likely to settle it.

For Liverpool, selling a homegrown player who came through the academy and wore the shirt with pride is never an easy call. But with one year left on his contract, a manager who started him fewer than half the time in the league, and a buyer willing to meet the price, the pieces fit. For Jones, a fresh start in Milan — where English signings are suddenly all the rage — offers the promise of regular football and a new chapter.

For fans, this means saying goodbye to a local lad who grew up at the club. Football moves on. It usually does.