Curtis Jones Transfer Saga: Liverpool's Stubborn Valuation Blocks Inter Move

Inter Milan have hit a wall. Curtis Jones has said yes, the project is clear, the destination is chosen – but Liverpool’s price tag has brought negotiations to a juddering halt.

The Serie A champions have pushed hard for the midfielder across two windows now. They opened the summer with an offer in the region of £18m, followed quickly by an improved proposal worth about £21m. Both were knocked back without hesitation. The message from Anfield could not be clearer: if you want Curtis Jones, you pay what we say he’s worth.

Player says yes, club says no

Jones, 25 and entering the final year of his Liverpool contract, has effectively closed the door on staying. He has told Inter he wants the move, views his time at Anfield as done, and sees San Siro as the right next step in his career.

Inter have tracked him since January, when initial talks opened but failed to spark a deal. They went away, regrouped and came back this summer with a concrete plan and a clear role for him in Simone Inzaghi’s squad. From their side, everything is aligned: the coach likes him, the recruitment team have pushed for him, and the player is on board.

Liverpool dig in over homegrown premium

Liverpool are holding out for around £35m. Internally, that figure is viewed as entirely justified in the current English market, one now distorted further by Manchester City’s willingness to spend more than £120m on Elliot Anderson.

From Liverpool’s perspective, the logic is simple. Jones is homegrown, English, and still considered a player of real quality. Even with only 12 months left on his deal, they believe the premium attached to that profile holds – and they are in no mood to let an academy graduate walk for what they see as a discount.

Inter see it very differently.

Sources close to the Italian champions are baffled by what they regard as an insistence on Premier League pricing in a deal that has no Premier League auction. Jones has made it clear he wants Italy, not a sideways move within England. There is no domestic bidding war. No rival English club driving the number up.

From Inter’s standpoint, Liverpool are trying to charge them a fee that belongs to a different market entirely.

Contract ticking, valuations clashing

The Italians also point straight at the calendar. Jones has one year left on his contract. In their eyes, that should weaken Liverpool’s hand, not strengthen it. If the player is pushing to leave and is unlikely to renew, a more modest fee feels logical to them.

Inside Jones’ camp, there is some sympathy with that argument. Those close to the player believe a compromise below £30m would be fair – a number that recognises his ability but also reflects his contract situation and the absence of an English bidding frenzy.

That sits much closer to Inter’s stance than to Liverpool’s current demands. For now, the gap remains “significant”.

Limited role under Iraola fuels exit push

On the pitch, the case for a move is growing stronger from Jones’ perspective.

He started only 18 Premier League games in the 2025/26 season and, under new manager Andoni Iraola, there is little indication that his role will suddenly expand. The high-energy, relentless style Iraola favours does not appear to fit Jones as naturally as it does some of his team-mates.

Inside the club, he is respected. But he is not seen as a guaranteed starter, and nothing in the current plans suggests that status will change dramatically. For a player in his mid‑twenties, that is a problem.

The contrast with Inter is stark. There, he is being courted as a key piece, a player with a defined place in a title-winning squad. The allure of the San Siro, the chance to reboot his career with the reigning Italian champions – it all adds up.

No wonder his desire to leave has hardened.

Standoff with no quick escape

Despite the frustration, nobody is walking away yet.

Inter have invested months of planning into this move and remain convinced they can get it over the line. Liverpool are open to a sale in principle, but only at their price. They are determined not to be seen as a soft touch when it comes to moving on their own academy products.

The two clubs are still some distance apart, yet the talks are not dead. With Jones firmly committed to the switch and Inter intent on pressing ahead, further negotiations are expected as both sides test just how far the other will bend.

Liverpool, for their part, are already braced for more high-profile exits this summer, with at least one of Arne Slot’s most trusted players attracting serious attention and big money from within the Premier League.

For Jones, though, the question is sharper, more immediate: will Liverpool cling to their valuation and risk losing him for far less in a year’s time, or finally open the door to the move he has already decided he wants?