Inter Milan Sets Deadline for Curtis Jones Transfer from Liverpool

Inter Milan have drawn a line in the sand over their pursuit of Curtis Jones, pushing Liverpool to make a decision as the Italian champions try to fast‑track their midfield rebuild.

The Serie A side want Jones in place and working in Germany by July 16, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, as they look to hand new boss Cristian Chivu as complete a squad as possible when pre-season properly kicks into gear.

Liverpool, though, are in no mood to be rushed – or lowballed.

Inter push, Liverpool hold

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that Jones has already given the green light to a move to San Siro, with Inter aiming to strike a deal in the region of €20m.

Liverpool’s stance is firmer. The club value the 23-year-old closer to €30m and want any sale to include a percentage of his future resale, a key detail for a homegrown player who has yet to hit his ceiling.

Inter’s position is complicated. The report in Gazzetta describes a squad “stuck with around 20 players”, with the club needing outgoings before they can fully move on incomings. They remain confident, leaning on the player’s apparent willingness to join and the fact his contract has just a year left to run.

The pressure, then, is on the Italians to bridge the gap. Liverpool know they have already lost Ibrahima Konaté and Andy Robertson on free transfers to Real Madrid and Tottenham respectively, and with Mohamed Salah set to depart for Saudi Arabia or elsewhere after confirming his intention to leave, they cannot afford to mismanage another major asset.

Jones, Alexis Mac Allister and others have all been linked with exits as the squad undergoes a sharp, uncomfortable reshaping. Any money raised from the academy graduate will be expected to flow straight back into that rebuild.

Inter, for their part, want clarity before Chivu’s work really starts. With six players away at the World Cup – Manuel Akanji, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Luka Sučić, Bonny, Lautaro Martínez and Marcus Thuram – the new coach will still have the bulk of his group available from mid-July. The plan is simple: get the “old” guard and the new faces together early, and hit the season running.

For that, they want Jones on the plane.

Ayari keeps Liverpool talk at arm’s length

While Inter push Liverpool over one midfielder, another possible Anfield target is keeping his distance from the noise.

Brighton’s Yasin Ayari has been linked with a move to Merseyside in recent weeks, his name surfacing on shortlists as Liverpool scan the market for versatile, energetic midfield options. The Sweden international impressed in his country’s opening match of the tournament, only fuelling the speculation.

Ayari, though, is not playing that game.

Asked by Fotbollskanalen about talk of negotiations with Liverpool, he cut it off quickly: “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.”

For Brighton, his focus is good news. They have already moved to sign Zadok Yohanna from Ayari’s former club AIK Fotboll, and the 21-year-old insists he is ready to help the teenager settle on the south coast.

“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 said. “I will take care of him, but many people will take care of him. It’s a family club, so it should go well.”

Liverpool will watch all of this from a distance. One midfielder seemingly ready to leave, another not yet ready to talk. A squad in transition, a market moving fast.

The question now is whether Liverpool cash in on Jones to fund the next phase of their rebuild, or hold their ground and risk losing both the player and the fee a year from now.