Curtis Jones's Contract Clock, Not Inter Milan's Money, Is Driving This Saga

Curtis Jones has entered the final 12 months of his Liverpool contract, and that fact is doing more to shape this transfer saga than any bid Inter Milan have put on the table. The Serie A champions had a €25 million approach rejected outright, and according to journalist Ben Jacobs, they are now weighing up a new offer rather than walking away. But while Inter dither over a formal proposal, Nottingham Forest have quietly become the more serious threat, opening talks with Liverpool over a concrete package worth £35 million to £40 million.

Liverpool's position has not moved. The club are prepared to keep Jones this summer if their €40 million-plus valuation is not met by an external suitor. That stance is straightforward on paper, but it collides with an uncomfortable reality: the longer Liverpool hold out, the closer Jones edges towards a free transfer in 2027.

Why Curtis Jones's Contract Clock Changes Everything

A Homegrown Talent Stuck Behind Slot's Preferred XI

Jones is a product of Liverpool's own academy, a versatile midfielder capable of playing across the middle of the park. That versatility has, ironically, become part of the problem. Under Arne Slot, Jones has increasingly been used as a rotation option rather than a guaranteed starter, and reports indicate he wants regular, week-in, week-out first-team football rather than another season managing minutes.

The Numbers Behind the Valuation

Liverpool's asking price is not plucked from thin air. Jones has contributed 22 goals and 25 assists across all competitions during his time at Anfield, a cumulative figure built up over several seasons rather than a single standout campaign. It is a solid return for a squad player, and it underlines why Liverpool see him as worth protecting rather than discounting, even as his contract situation weakens their negotiating hand with every passing month.

Inter's Stalled Bid vs Forest's Concrete Offer: Who's Really Leading?

Inter's Financial Wall

Inter Milan have made Jones a leading target to reinforce their midfield, but their pursuit has hit a genuine financial ceiling. Their opening approach of €25 million was rejected instantly, and Liverpool concluded a deal was not possible on that basis. Jacobs reports Inter are still waiting to launch new formal talks, banking on Jones's shrinking contract window to eventually force Liverpool into a compromise.

Inter are considering a new bid for Curtis Jones despite seeing a €25m approach instantly rejected. Liverpool prepared to keep Jones if their €40m+ valuation isn't met. Still waiting for new formal talks. (Ben Jacobs)

That is a patient strategy, but patience is a luxury when a rival club is already at the table with real numbers.

Forest's Concrete Number and Ambition

Nottingham Forest have gone further than Inter in every practical sense. They have opened direct talks with Liverpool and are ready to offer in the region of £35 million to £40 million, a figure that sits close to Liverpool's stated valuation rather than well below it. This fits Forest's wider recruitment push, an ambitious midfield rebuild designed to signal genuine top-flight intent.

• Inter Milan: €25m bid rejected, no new formal offer tabled yet
• Nottingham Forest: talks opened, £35m-£40m offer being discussed
• Liverpool's valuation: €40m-plus, unmoved so far

A marquee Premier League signing of Jones's profile would be a statement of intent for Forest's project. For Inter, missing out would simply mean looking elsewhere to solve a midfield depth problem that comes with fewer emotional stakes attached.

What Liverpool Risk by Holding Firm on £40m+

The Playbook: Set a Price,

Liverpool's approach here is consistent with their broader recruitment strategy in recent windows: set a hard valuation and be willing to let a deal stall rather than negotiate down under pressure. It has worked before when suitors were desperate enough to eventually meet the number. The problem is that strategy typically assumes the selling club holds the leverage, and that leverage usually depends on time being on their side.

When Leverage Flips

With only 12 months left on Jones's deal, time is not on Liverpool's side this time. Every week that passes without a sale increases the risk that Jones simply runs his contract down, handing Liverpool nothing for a homegrown asset they could have sold for a substantial fee. The club have watched this scenario play out with other players before, and it is precisely the outcome their £40 million-plus stance is supposed to prevent.

Liverpool are, in effect, gambling that neither Inter nor Forest will walk away before Jones's camp starts to feel the pressure of a shrinking contract window. That is a reasonable bet if a buyer blinks first. It becomes a much riskier one if both clubs are content to wait Liverpool out, knowing the asset only gets cheaper, or free, the longer this drags on.

What happens next

The next real signal will come from Inter Milan's camp. Until a new, formal bid actually lands rather than being merely 'considered', their interest should be treated as market-testing rather than genuine advancement. Forest, by contrast, are already in direct talks with a specific figure on the table, and that alone makes them the more credible suitor right now, regardless of Inter's greater European pedigree.

Liverpool's calculation hinges on whether either club is willing to reach £40 million before the summer window closes. If neither does, the club face a genuine choice next season: extend Jones on improved terms to reset the clock, or accept a smaller fee in January or next summer as his contract edges towards its final months. Doing nothing is the one option that guarantees Liverpool end up with the least.