Curtis Jones Set to Join Inter Milan: Liverpool Negotiations Continue

Curtis Jones has made up his mind. Now it is down to Liverpool and Inter Milan to stop circling and finally shake hands.

The 25-year-old midfielder has committed to joining the Serie A champions, with negotiations between the clubs locked on one decisive issue: price. Inter have put around €25m (£21m) on the table. Liverpool are holding out for closer to €30m (£25m), a figure they consider fair for a homegrown player with Premier League and European experience.

The gap is not huge. The stakes are.

Anfield chapter closing

Behind the scenes, there is no doubt about Jones’ intentions. Those close to the England international confirm he has accepted that his time at Anfield is drawing to a close and that he wants his next step to be in Italy, not just across the Premier League.

Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all checked in on his situation in recent months. Under normal circumstances, that kind of domestic interest might spark a bidding war and push the fee towards Liverpool’s ideal number.

Jones has cut that route off himself. He has told those around him that his preference is Inter, that he wants to test himself abroad for the first time, and that San Siro is the move he sees as the right progression in his career. The Premier League suitors are watching, but they are not driving this story.

Inter push, Liverpool dig in

Inter sense an opportunity. Jones is heading into the final year of his contract, and the Italian champions believe that reality weakens Liverpool’s negotiating hand. From their perspective, a player one year from free agency is a €25m deal, not a €30m one.

Liverpool do not see it that way. Not anymore.

Over the past 12 months, they have watched Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold walk away as free agents. Two major assets gone for nothing. Internally, there is a clear determination not to repeat that mistake with Jones.

That is why Liverpool are pushing for a fee closer to their valuation. They know they may have to compromise to get the deal done, but they are not prepared to be squeezed simply because of the calendar. Inter’s stance is firm. So is Liverpool’s. The negotiation has become a test of who blinks first, not whether Jones wants the move.

Chiesa’s Italian sales pitch

If there was any doubt about where Jones’ head is, Federico Chiesa has helped clear it.

The former Juventus winger, now a Liverpool teammate, has spoken positively to Jones about life in Serie A and the reality of playing for one of Italy’s giants. His message has been simple: the football is high-level, the lifestyle is appealing, and the climate is kinder than Merseyside’s.

“Jones just asked me what life is like in Italy. I told him it’s great and the weather is better than Liverpool, which, aside from that, is a special place,” Chiesa told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Jones is really strong technically. Inter are right to think about him.”

Those words echo what many inside the game now expect: that Jones’ future lies at San Siro, not Anfield.

Liverpool plan for life after Jones

Liverpool, for their part, are not blindsided. While they once hoped Jones would grow into a long-term pillar of their midfield, there is now a recognition that he wants a fresh challenge and that this is the moment to cash in rather than drift towards another free departure.

Under new head coach Andoni Iraola, midfield planning is already well advanced. The club have been assessing reinforcements as part of a broader squad rebuild, with Jones’ likely exit factored into the thinking. The aim is clear: reshape the engine room without being backed into a financial corner.

Talks with Inter remain active, and there is quiet optimism on all sides that a compromise can be reached. The numbers are close enough, the player’s will is strong enough, that a collapse would now feel like a major surprise.

For Jones, the picture is even simpler. His focus is on completing the move, swapping Merseyside for Milan, trading Anfield’s Kop for the Curva Nord, and joining the growing list of English players willing to step out of their domestic comfort zone in Serie A.

The only question left is not whether he goes, but how much Inter will have to pay to prise him away before that contract clock runs out.