Inter Targets Curtis Jones as Liverpool Bid Rejected
Inter have picked their next midfield target and they are not hiding it. Curtis Jones is the man they want, and they have already put serious money on the table.
A £30 million bid has gone in to Liverpool for the 25-year-old, according to Gazzetta. It was knocked back without hesitation. Liverpool’s stance is clear: they will only start to listen at around €40m, and even then, it will take some convincing to part with one of their own academy products.
Chivu’s request – and a specific role
Inside Inter, the pursuit is being driven from the very top. President Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio recently sat down over a strategic dinner with head coach Cristian Chivu to map out the next phase of their mercato. Jones’ name was not just on the list – it was highlighted.
Chivu has asked specifically for the Liverpool midfielder. In his plans, Jones would be a disruptive “seventh” option in the engine room, a specialist profile to give his system another gear and a different rhythm. Not just another body. A piece that changes the picture.
Jones, meanwhile, has drifted to the margins at Anfield under new manager Andoni Iraola. From academy hope to peripheral figure, his minutes have shrunk and his frustration has grown. The timing, from Inter’s perspective, could not be better.
The Englishman is open to Italy. A move to San Siro appeals, and the prospect of a fresh start in Serie A is very much on his radar.
English flavour in Milan
If Inter get their way, Jones will not walk into an unfamiliar dressing room. John Stones is already on the verge of joining from Manchester City, with the defender undergoing medical tests in Italy as Inter close out that deal.
An English core in the heart of a Serie A powerhouse. It is a striking shift in recruitment, and it underlines how determined Inter are to add technical quality and tactical versatility in one go.
The midfield logjam
There is a problem, though, and it sits squarely in the middle of the pitch. Inter’s midfield is bloated. To bring Jones in, they first have to clear space and raise cash.
Davide Frattesi is the most urgent case. The Italy international wants out to restart a stalling career, but interest has yet to crystallise into acceptable offers. Inter are waiting, and so far the market is not playing ball.
Kristjan Asllani is also on the list of players to move on, a sale that would help ease both numbers and wage bill. Youngster Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has already gone, joining Monza as Inter start to trim around the edges.
For Jones to arrive, these exits are not a luxury. They are a necessity.
Inter’s waiting game with Liverpool
So Inter wait. Not passively, but with a plan.
They are prepared to drag this pursuit deep into August, convinced that time will work in their favour. The calculation is ruthless: if Liverpool keep Jones on the fringes through pre-season and into the final stretch of the window, the pressure around a homegrown player stuck on the sidelines will rise.
At some point, Inter believe, Liverpool will have to decide between an unhappy academy graduate and a sizeable fee. That is where Marotta and Ausilio see their opening.
While Liverpool’s first team tour the world, with stops in Hong Kong and Perth, Inter’s powerbrokers will stay in Europe. No photo ops, no long flights. Just calls, negotiations and a constant line open to Anfield.
The first bid has been rejected. The stance is firm on both sides. Now comes the real test: who blinks first as the deadline creeps closer?
