Liverpool's Summer Transfer Dilemma: Jones at Risk of Leaving

Liverpool’s summer window has been noisy without being especially busy. Three signings in, a torrent of rumours out, and still no clear sign of what the next decisive move will be.

Names keep circling. Ibrahim Mbaye. Bradley Barcola. Both admired, both discussed, neither remotely close. Paris Saint-Germain’s price tags sit miles away from Liverpool’s valuations, and talks have stalled before they’ve really begun.

Yet the real turbulence may not be about who comes in. It could be about who leaves.

Inter’s midfield shuffle that could hit Anfield

While Liverpool hesitate, other clubs are moving pieces around the board. Inter Milan, eyeing up Curtis Jones, have started to create the financial space to go after him – and Newcastle United are right in the middle of it.

TEAMtalk report that Inter have offered Davide Frattesi to Newcastle, with the Serie A champions also fielding interest in youngster Aleksandar Stankovic. The logic is simple: raise funds, then strike for Jones.

“Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi after also enquiring about highly-rated youngster Aleksandar Stankovic,” TEAMtalk write. Newcastle need another midfielder after Bruno Guimaraes’ departure and have already missed out on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Frattesi has been told he can leave, with Inter valuing him at around €30m (£26m / $35m), and Juventus also monitoring the situation.

If Newcastle bite, Inter’s path becomes clear. The money from Frattesi – and potentially Stankovic – would help fund a move for Jones, a player they are described as “determined” to bring to San Siro.

That’s where Liverpool’s carefully drawn plans start to wobble.

Jones: contract ticking down, future wide open

Inside Anfield, Jones is the name most widely expected to depart this summer. He is in the final year of his contract. No extension talks are under way. Every week that passes pushes Liverpool closer to a decision they may not want to make.

With only 12 months left on his deal, Liverpool know they will not receive a fee that truly reflects his talent or age. Right now, that valuation gap is the main barrier to any agreement. Inter want him. Liverpool want proper value. The clock does not care.

If Inter cash in on Frattesi and move decisively, Liverpool could be forced into a reactive window. Lose Jones, and they would almost certainly need to dip back into the market for another midfielder, whether that was the plan or not.

A bad time for Liverpool to lose a believer

On paper, Liverpool’s midfield looks crowded. In reality, it is fragile.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister struggled to convince across last season. Performances dipped, combinations never fully settled, and the unit never quite looked complete. That uncertainty makes Jones even more important.

He knows the club. He understands the demands. He can play in several roles. For a new manager like Andoni Iraola, that kind of profile is gold.

Yet there is a problem that runs deeper than tactics. Jones is understood to have lost trust in the club after Arne Slot failed to give him meaningful minutes last term. When belief goes, contracts and systems start to matter a lot less.

From Iraola’s perspective, keeping Jones should sit near the top of the to-do list. The Englishman fits the Spaniard’s high-energy style, and with Iraola already admitting his squad are short of full fitness, he will need reliable, ready-made options to rotate heavily during games.

Letting that sort of player walk into the arms of a European giant, just as the team adjusts to a new era, would be a significant gamble.

The market is still open. Inter still need to sell. Newcastle still have to decide how to replace Guimaraes. But if Frattesi moves and the dominoes start to fall, Liverpool may find their hand forced in a way they never intended – and their midfield, supposedly the safest part of the squad, suddenly becomes the most urgent question of all.