Inter Milan Renew Push for Curtis Jones as Liverpool Holds Firm

Inter Milan have come back for Curtis Jones. Hard.

The Serie A champions have revived their pursuit of the Liverpool midfielder with a fresh proposal worth around £30 million ($40.5m), testing the resolve of a club that insists its valuation sits at £35m ($47.2m) and not a penny less.

For now, Liverpool are standing firm.

Inter won’t go away

Jones has just one year left on his contract and has been on Inter’s radar for most of the year. The Italian side first made their move in January, only to be told there would be no late winter departures from Anfield, according to the Liverpool Echo.

They didn’t walk away for long.

An opening bid of roughly £21m ($28.3m) went in early last month and was quickly rejected, the gap in valuation so wide that Liverpool saw little point in even entertaining a back-and-forth at that stage.

But Inter have kept the line open. Agents working on the Nerazzurri’s behalf have gone back to Liverpool, signalling a willingness to raise the offer and get closer to the figure the Premier League club have in mind. The latest £30m proposal shows intent, but still falls short of what Liverpool consider fair value for a homegrown midfielder entering his peak years.

Liverpool’s stance: pay the price or walk away

Inside Anfield, the message has been consistent: £35m or no deal.

That figure has been described as a reluctant asking price, an amount Liverpool would accept rather than actively chase. With sporting director Richard Hughes now in place and Andoni Iraola beginning his first season in charge, the club must decide whether cashing in on a player with 12 months left on his deal makes more sense than backing the manager’s desire to keep him.

Jones is not a fringe figure. Since his debut in January 2019, he has made 228 appearances, a tally that underlines both his durability and the trust successive managers have placed in him. What he has lacked, at times, is the guaranteed status of a nailed-on starter. That search for more consistent first-team minutes is part of what has drawn outside interest and given Inter encouragement that a deal might eventually be possible.

Iraola’s clear message

Iraola, though, has been open about where he stands.

Speaking earlier this month, the new Liverpool head coach made it clear he wants Jones at the heart of his plans and tied down to a new contract on Merseyside.

"I will have the chance to speak with him today," Iraola said. "I rate Curtis very highly. For me he is a great, great player and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing.

"It's very important that he's scouse, that he's from here. I also like the personality. From the outside at least he looks like a player with good character and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time."

Those are not the words of a coach preparing to wave a local talent out the door. They are the words of a manager who sees Jones as part of the club’s identity as much as its midfield structure.

A test of resolve on both sides

So the standoff continues. Inter believe there is a deal to be done. Liverpool believe they hold the stronger hand.

If the Italians edge closer to that £35m mark, the pressure shifts to Hughes and Iraola: take the money for a player in the final year of his contract, or double down on faith in a scouse midfielder who still wants to be a regular starter.

For Inter, the question is just as sharp. How badly do they want Curtis Jones?