Liverpool have rejected a verbal offer of €25m (£21.7m) from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones.
According to the BBC, the bid fell well short of the £35m the Reds value him at. They are unwilling to sanction a cut-price exit for the midfielder.
The gap between the clubs is considerable. Inter’s offer sits some way below Liverpool’s asking price, a difference of more than 60%.
Reports suggest the Reds were left irritated by the approach, feeling Inter were not being serious given this summer’s inflated midfield market.
Liverpool reject Inter Milan’s €25m offer for Curtis Jones
It is not the Italians’ first attempt, either. Inter pursued Jones in January, proposing a loan with a view to a permanent transfer. Liverpool turned that down too, and have now done the same again.
Jones, 25, finds himself at a crossroads. He has only one year left on his current deal and has resisted opening fresh contract talks.
That stance, combined with limited game time last season, has fuelled the speculation around his future.
Inter have made little secret of their interest. “Curtis Jones, we are paying attention to him,” sporting director Piero Ausilio said this month.
“We didn’t hide. We understand what the developments will be.”
There have been hints from within the dressing room, too. Federico Chiesa told La Gazzetta dello Sport that Jones had asked him what life in Italy is like.
Chiesa, himself uncertain at Anfield, offered a glimpse of the player’s curiosity.
Liverpool, though, hold the cards. They want any deal to include a resale clause and are in no rush to sell a homegrown talent.
Jones joined the academy aged nine before turning professional in 2018.
Reports now suggest Jones could end up staying, with Liverpool making clear they have no interest in doing business at Inter’s valuation.
