Inter Milan renew interest in Liverpool’s Curtis Jones with €35m valuation
Inter Milan have reportedly renewed their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, indicating a willingness to pay up to €35m for the player. This follows earlier rejected offers from the Italian side for the Liverpool academy product.
Sources indicate that Inter previously made a verbal offer of €25m, which was turned down by Liverpool. Another offer of €32m was also reportedly rejected. Liverpool are said to value Jones at a higher figure, with reports suggesting they are seeking closer to €40m.
Jones, who is 25 years old, has just one year remaining on his current contract at Anfield. Despite this, Andoni Iraola‘s side is reportedly unwilling to sanction a cut-price exit for the midfielder. Senior figures at the club have indicated a preference to potentially lose Jones for free in 2027 rather than accept a fee below their valuation.
The valuation from Liverpool is thought to be influenced by the fee Tottenham Hotspur paid for Conor Gallagher in January, which was €40m. Inter had also attempted to sign Jones in the January transfer window with a loan deal proposal that included an option to buy, which Liverpool rejected.
Recent Squad Developments and Training
The renewed interest from Inter comes amidst recent events involving Jones during Liverpool‘s pre-season tour. Jones was reportedly involved in a heated argument with teammate Dominik Szoboszlai after Liverpool‘s 1-0 friendly win over Wrexham in New York. The disagreement appeared to stem from Szoboszlai handing the captain’s armband to Kostas Tsimikas instead of Jones.
The discussion between the players reportedly continued as they acknowledged fans at full-time, with Tsimikas seen throwing the armband. Jones and Szoboszlai continued their animated exchange as they returned to the changing rooms, with Jeremie Frimpong reportedly attempting to mediate. Despite this, the pair were observed to be in good spirits during an open training session in Chicago on Friday.
In other squad news, Jeremy Jacquet, who joined Liverpool from Rennes in a deal worth £60m, was absent from the Chicago training session. Jacquet, who is 21 years old, was in the gym continuing his recovery from a shoulder injury sustained in February. Earlier in the tour, Iraola had suggested that Jacquet might be fit to play against Leeds on Sunday in their final match before returning home, but this now appears unlikely.
More positive news for Liverpool includes the return to training of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Ryan Gravenberch. This trio joined the squad earlier in the week and are expected to feature in the upcoming match on Sunday.
Jones’ Career at Anfield
Curtis Jones has been with Liverpool since making his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in January 2019. Since then, he has made 228 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals and providing 25 assists. He has been part of teams that have won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup, and the Carabao Cup twice.
A product of Liverpool‘s Kirkby academy, Jones was born in Liverpool. He is currently understood to be behind Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister in the midfield pecking order at Anfield. With his contract entering its final year, it remains to be seen whether Jones will seek a move to become a first-choice option elsewhere.
While there are no active talks regarding a new contract for Jones, Liverpool would reportedly be open to exploring a new deal if a common ground can be found regarding expectations. Meanwhile, Inter recently completed a deal to sign free agent John Stones on Thursday.
Source: bbc.co.uk