Curtis Jones Set to Leave Liverpool for Inter Milan
Curtis Jones has made his choice. Now it’s over to Liverpool and Inter Milan to make the numbers work.
The 25-year-old midfielder has effectively closed the door on his Anfield career and committed to joining the Serie A champions, with only a stubborn valuation gap stopping the deal from being signed off.
Jones ready to leave Anfield behind
Those close to the situation are clear: Jones has accepted that his time at Liverpool is coming to an end. After coming through the academy, riding the emotional highs of Jurgen Klopp’s era and fighting for minutes in a crowded midfield, he has decided the next chapter will be written in Italy.
He has had options to stay in England. Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all checked in on his situation in recent months, sensing an opportunity as he moved into the final stretch of his Liverpool contract. For a homegrown Premier League midfielder in his prime, that interest was inevitable.
He listened. Then he looked elsewhere.
Jones has told those around him that Inter is his preferred destination. The lure of a new league, a new culture and the chance to test himself at the heart of a title-winning side in Serie A has pushed him firmly towards San Siro. It would be his first experience of football abroad.
The valuation stand-off
That leaves the two clubs locked in a familiar dance over money.
Inter have put roughly €25m (£21m) on the table. Liverpool want closer to €30m (£25m) and believe that figure reflects Jones’ quality and experience, as well as his status as a homegrown player who has come through one of Europe’s most demanding environments.
Inter are holding their line. From their perspective, Jones is entering the final year of his contract, and that clock is ticking loudly over Liverpool’s negotiating position. They see little reason to stretch much beyond their current offer for a player they could, in theory, target on a free in 12 months.
Liverpool see it differently. The club has already been stung by recent departures on free transfers, with Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold both leaving without a fee in the past year. Internally, there is a clear determination not to let another valuable asset walk away for nothing.
So the Reds are pushing. They want a fee that gets closer to their valuation, even if they know some compromise will be needed to get the deal over the line. For now, the two sides remain apart, but there is a growing sense that a middle ground can be found.
Chiesa’s influence and the pull of Serie A
Jones’ desire to move has not formed in isolation. The midfielder has been encouraged by teammate Federico Chiesa, whose own journey from Juventus to Liverpool has given him a unique vantage point on both leagues.
Chiesa has spoken warmly about life in Italy and about what awaits a player at Inter. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, he revealed that Jones had asked him what living in Italy is like and joked that the weather is better than Liverpool, while still calling Merseyside “a special place.”
More importantly, Chiesa underlined Jones’ ability: “Jones is really strong technically. Inter are right to think about him.”
Those words mirror the growing feeling across Europe that Jones’ future now lies at San Siro. Inter see a technically gifted midfielder who fits their style and age profile. Jones sees a club at the peak of Italian football, competing deep into the latter stages of European competition.
Liverpool plan for life after Jones
Inside Liverpool, there is no illusion about where this is heading. While the club would once have preferred to build longer around Jones, the reality is that the player wants a fresh challenge and the new era under Andoni Iraola is already being shaped with that in mind.
Liverpool’s midfield plans are well advanced. The recruitment team has been working on reinforcements as part of a broader squad rebuild under the new manager, and the anticipated exit of Jones is being factored into those calculations rather than resisted at all costs.
Talks with Inter remain active. There is optimism that the gap can be narrowed, that Liverpool’s insistence on avoiding another free-transfer departure and Inter’s hard line on price will eventually bend just enough to meet somewhere in the middle.
For Jones, the picture is simpler. He is focused on completing the move, swapping Merseyside for Milan, trading the Kop for the Curva Nord and joining the growing list of English players willing to leave the comfort of the Premier League for a different kind of stage.
If Liverpool and Inter can finally agree on the price, he won’t just be changing clubs. He’ll be betting his prime years on the belief that his game belongs at the heart of a champion in Italy.
