Report: Liverpool star moves closer to €35m exit | OneFootball

Inter Push Curtis Jones Transfer as Liverpool Face Key Contract Decision

Inter are stepping up their pursuit of Curtis Jones, with Liverpool facing a familiar late-window dilemma over a player they value highly but have yet to tie down beyond the coming season. According to The Guardian, fresh contact has been made through intermediaries and the Serie A side are now willing to go higher than before.

Liverpool’s stance has been clear for some time. They have placed a £35m valuation on Jones and previously rejected an offer worth £21m, judging it short of their expectation. Inter have admired the midfielder for a prolonged period, having also explored the situation in January before being told no business would be done in the middle of the campaign.

Now the equation has shifted. Jones is into the final year of his contract, and that inevitably alters the conversation. Inter are understood to be prepared to reach €35m, a figure that brings the clubs closer, even if it does not automatically guarantee agreement. Liverpool must weigh up the value of retaining a homegrown player against the risk of seeing his contract run down.

Curtis Jones Contract Situation Grows More Pressing

Jones has made 228 appearances since breaking into Liverpool’s first team in January 2019, but the central issue is game time. At 25, he wants a more regular role and a clearer pathway. That is often the point at which interest from abroad becomes more dangerous, particularly when the buying club can offer both status and a fresh challenge.

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Andoni Iraola has already made his feelings known. He said: “I will have the chance to speak with him today. “I rate Curtis very highly. For me he is a great, great player and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing. “It’s very important that he’s scouse, that he’s from here. I also like the personality. From the outside at least he looks like a player with good character and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time.”

Our View

From an unconvinced Liverpool supporter perspective, this report feels awkward rather than alarming. Jones is clearly talented, he understands the club, and there is genuine value in having local players in the squad. Yet there is also a sense that Liverpool have been having the same conversation around him for too long.

If the club truly see him as central to Iraola’s rebuild, the contract should have been sorted earlier. If Jones truly believes Anfield is where he can become a guaranteed starter, that commitment should also be clearer by now. Instead, it feels like both sides are hovering in the middle ground, and that usually invites clubs like Inter to pounce.

The proposed fee is another sticking point. €35m is not insignificant, but it still feels light for a homegrown England international with experience, versatility and resale value. At the same time, letting him enter the final months of his deal without resolution would be poor business.

Supporters will probably split on this. Some will say cash in now and move on. Others will argue Liverpool cannot keep losing local identity from the dressing room. The uneasy truth may be that both views contain something valid, which is why this feels like a decision the club can no longer delay.