Inter Targets Curtis Jones as Liverpool Holds Firm

Inter have fixed their gaze on Curtis Jones and they are not blinking.

The Serie A champions have already tested Liverpool’s resolve with a £30 million bid for the midfielder, only to be swiftly knocked back. According to Gazzetta, Liverpool made it clear they want closer to €40m before they even think about letting an academy product walk out of Anfield.

That hasn’t discouraged Inter. It has sharpened their focus.

Chivu’s specific request

Behind the scenes, the power axis at Inter – president Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio – has moved into full negotiation mode. The pair recently sat down over a strategic dinner with head coach Cristian Chivu, mapping out the final pieces of their summer rebuild.

One name dominated the conversation: Curtis Jones.

Chivu has asked explicitly for the 25-year-old. Not just as another body in midfield, but as a very particular piece in his system – a disruptive “seventh” option who can break patterns, press aggressively, and give his structure an extra edge between the lines. In his eyes, Jones ticks that box better than anyone currently on the market in Inter’s price range.

The timing helps Inter. Jones has slipped to the fringes at Liverpool under new manager Andoni Iraola, and frustration has been building on Merseyside. A player who once looked central to Liverpool’s homegrown core now finds himself watching too often.

He is open to leaving. A move to San Siro appeals.

English influence in Milan

If Inter get their way, Jones will not arrive alone. The club are already putting the finishing touches on a deal for Manchester City defender John Stones, who is undergoing medical examinations in Italy.

An Inter side built on Italian steel and South American flair could soon have a distinctly English spine running through it. For Chivu, that blend of technical security and Premier League intensity is no accident; it is the blueprint.

But before Jones can walk through the door, others will have to leave.

Midfield logjam and forced sales

Inter’s midfield is crowded. Too crowded for another significant arrival without a clear-out.

Davide Frattesi sits at the top of the outgoing list. The Italy international wants a move to restart a career that has stalled in the shadows of Inter’s established starters. So far, though, the club have not received an offer they consider acceptable.

Behind him, Kristjan Asllani is also earmarked for a sale. The Albanian has struggled to carve out a meaningful role and now represents a potential source of funds rather than a long-term project.

One move has already gone through: young talent Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has joined Monza, a first small step in trimming what Inter view as a bloated department.

For Marotta and Ausilio, moving these fringe players is not a luxury. It is the condition that unlocks the Jones deal.

Inter’s waiting game with Liverpool

On the other side of Europe, Liverpool hold firm on their valuation. Homegrown, in his mid-20s, Premier League proven – the club believe Jones should command a premium, even if he is not currently central to Iraola’s plans.

Inter think the situation will shift. They are prepared to play the long game.

The plan is simple: wait. Drag the talks into late August. Let the pressure build at Anfield as the season looms and a dissatisfied player sits on the periphery. Inter believe that, at some point, Liverpool will have to weigh the cost of keeping an unhappy academy graduate against the chance to bank a sizeable fee.

It is a calculated gamble. Liverpool could dig in and protect their valuation. Or they could blink first.

While the first-team squad embarks on a pre-season tour through Hong Kong and Perth, the key decision-makers will not be on the plane. Marotta and Ausilio are staying in Europe, locked into a different kind of tour: phone calls, meetings, and a constant, carefully managed line of communication with Liverpool.

Inter have made their move. They know their price. They know their man.

Now the question hangs over Anfield: how long can Liverpool afford to keep Curtis Jones on the sidelines while Inter wait, and wait, for the deal they believe is inevitable?