Liverpool Faces Pressure on Curtis Jones as Inter Milan Pursues Deal
Inter Milan have drawn a line in the sand over their move for Curtis Jones, piling pressure on Liverpool to make a decision on the midfielder’s future as the club braces for a summer of upheaval.
The Serie A champions want Jones in Germany by July 16, according to Gazzetta Dello Sport, as they look to have him in place for the start of their pre-season camp. From their side, the plan is clear. From Liverpool’s, far less so.
Inter push, Liverpool hold firm
TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that Jones has already given the green light to a switch to Inter, with the Italian side aiming to strike a deal at around €20m.
Liverpool are not playing along at that price.
The club value the 23-year-old closer to €30m and want a sell-on percentage included, a stance that has left negotiations stuck in a familiar stand-off: player keen, buying club confident, selling club unmoved.
Gazzetta describe Liverpool as “resistant”, determined to “cash in” properly on an English midfielder who still has clear market value and, crucially, just one year left on his contract. Inter, for their part, are already managing a bloated group of around 20 players and need outgoings and clarity before they can fully reshape Simone Inzaghi’s options.
They remain calm, convinced of Jones’ desire to make the move and of the leverage that comes with his contract situation. The deadline they have set – available in Germany from July 16 – is as much about forcing the pace at Anfield as it is about their own planning.
As things stand, Liverpool have already seen Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson walk away on free transfers, joining Real Madrid and Tottenham respectively. Mohamed Salah has publicly confirmed his intention to leave for Saudi Arabia or another destination. Now Jones, Alexis Mac Allister and others sit in the swirl of speculation around a squad that could look very different by the end of the window.
The question is simple: how many key pieces are Liverpool willing to lose in one summer, and at what price?
Ayari keeps distance from Liverpool links
While Inter try to drag Jones out of Merseyside, another midfielder linked with Liverpool is doing his best to stay out of the noise.
Brighton’s Yasin Ayari has emerged as a reported target after impressing for Sweden in their opening match of the tournament. His name has been floated around Anfield as a possible addition to a midfield that may need urgent reinforcement if the exits continue.
Ayari, though, is not entertaining the story publicly.
Asked by Fotbollskanalen about claims he has been in talks over a move to Liverpool, he cut the subject dead.
“I’m in the World Cup bubble, as they say. I don’t have a clue about anything. Everyone else is taking care of it for me. I’m just here and focusing on the World Cup,” he said.
For now, his club future sits in the background while he leans into an international stage that can transform a player’s market in a matter of days.
Brighton, typically sharp in the market, have already moved to sign Zadok Yohanna from Ayari’s former club AIK Fotboll, another young piece in a long-term project that rarely stands still. Ayari made it clear he intends to be part of that environment, at least in the short term.
“It will be fun. I haven’t seen much of him in the Swedish league, but it will be fun to start and see how he goes,” Ayari added. “I will take care of him, but many people will take care of him. It’s a family club, so it should go well.”
While Ayari talks about looking after a teenager at Brighton, Liverpool’s gaze lingers on players exactly like him: young, technical, with scope to grow and sell on. Yet their immediate reality is different. Before they can properly attack the market, they need clarity on who is leaving, and on what terms.
Inter have set their clock on Curtis Jones. The next move belongs to Liverpool – and it will say plenty about how ruthless they are prepared to be in reshaping the post-Salah era.
