Report: Liverpool star set to stay as talks continue to stall | OneFootball

Curtis Jones future could define Liverpool’s next transfer call

Liverpool have already spent heavily in recent windows, and that puts every fresh decision under the microscope. When a club has thrown around sums north of £450 million and still finds itself needing further repair work, every possible exit starts to feel like a test of judgement rather than a routine bit of squad management.

That is why the latest noise around Curtis Jones matters. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter Milan’s efforts to strike a deal for the midfielder have lost momentum. The report states, “However, despite the interest, negotiations with Liverpool have slowed down,” before adding, “Jones is popular for his versatility, experience, and future prospects. Last year, he even played as a full-back.” It also notes, “Another drawback to the deal remains the cost: Inter are willing to offer €25-30 million, while Liverpool are asking for at least €40 million to let the player leave.”

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Richard Hughes faces a key Curtis Jones call

That valuation tells you plenty. Liverpool are not behaving like a club desperate to shift a player. Richard Hughes may have overseen aggressive market moves, both in and out, but this looks more like a line in the sand. Jones is 25 now, home-grown, tactically flexible and deeply familiar with the demands of the club. Those players are not easy to replace, and they are even harder to replace well.

There is a tendency in modern football to reduce footballers to spreadsheet logic. Contract length, resale value, wage structure, book profit. All of that has its place. Yet football clubs also need identity, reliability and players who understand the shirt. Jones gives Liverpool that. He may not have been central under Arne Slot, whose reign ended on May 30, 2026, but the managerial change alters the picture considerably.

Inter Milan interest shows Jones still holds serious value

Inter’s interest is no surprise. Jones can carry the ball, keep it under pressure, fill different roles and bring intensity without fuss. When Liverpool have looked short of legs in midfield, he has often supplied them. When structure has been missing, he has offered control. He is one of those players supporters tend to appreciate properly only when he is absent.

Andoni Iraola now has the job of rebuilding coherence after a chaotic period. Doing that with fewer moving parts would be sensible. Selling Jones for around £25 million to £30 million, or even for the rough £33.9 million mark often floated from the Italian side, would feel like creating another problem while trying to solve several others. Liverpool would then need to replace a proven squad option, a local lad and a player entering his prime, all at once.

Liverpool transfer strategy must avoid another reset

That is the broader issue. Liverpool cannot keep treating each summer like a grand reinvention. Constant churn leaves managers trying to teach ideas to strangers, and supporters watching a team that never quite settles. Iraola needs a core he can trust, and Jones looks like part of that more than part of the excess.

The contract situation does complicate matters. If renewal talks remain unresolved, pressure will grow. But that only sharpens the need for clarity from Liverpool. If they truly believe Jones fits the new head coach’s plans, the smart play is obvious, keep him and get the deal done. If they do not, they should say so with their actions.

For now, the slowing Inter Milan talks feel significant. Liverpool have made enough expensive mistakes in the market. Letting Curtis Jones go for a fee that barely reflects his usefulness, his versatility and his connection to the club would risk adding another.

Our View

From a supporter’s point of view, this is one that feels simple. Keep Curtis Jones. Not because he is local, though that matters. Not because he is a good squad player, though he clearly is. Keep him because there is still more there, and because a new coach should be looking at him as an asset rather than a loose end.

Iraola will need players who can run, press, recover possession and drive the team up the pitch. Jones can do all of that. He has had spells where he looked ready to nail down a major role, then the circumstances changed around him. That can happen at big clubs. It does not mean the talent has vanished.

There is also a wider point about what Liverpool should be. A squad made entirely through expensive recruitment can lose something human. Jones understands the place, the standards and the noise that comes with both. Those details matter when a dressing room is adjusting to a new voice.

If Inter want him, that is fair enough. He is a good footballer. But Liverpool should not be helping another big club by underselling one of their own. Sort the contract, give him a proper chance under Iraola and see whether this becomes the season when he finally makes himself impossible to leave out.

Source: Gazzetta Dello Sport