Inter Have Agreed Terms With Curtis Jones But Liverpool Still Hold Every Card

Inter Milan have agreed personal terms with Curtis Jones on a contract running until 2031 and are set to open direct talks with Liverpool next week. The Italian champions believe they can sign him this summer.

They cannot, yet. Liverpool have not given the green light, and the two clubs are nowhere near agreement on a fee. Inter opened at around €20m. Liverpool want closer to £35m. That gap, not the personal terms, is the story.

Why Inter believe they can get their man

The confidence in Milan is not built on nothing. Nicolo Schira reports Jones remains Inter's primary midfield target this summer, and the player has agreed a long contract on Inter's books. From the outside, that reads like a deal in motion.

The contract clock is the real lever

The detail that explains Inter's timing is simple. Jones is in the final year of his Liverpool contract. The Guardian previously reported Inter were ready to renew their interest precisely as he entered that final 12 months.

A player with one year left is a player whose price falls by the month. Inter know that. Wait long enough and the threat of a free transfer next summer hands them leverage they do not currently possess.

Jürgen Klopp once described Jones as an 'incredibly skilled' player.

That talent is not in question. What Inter are betting on is that Liverpool's contract situation forces a decision before the asset depreciates further. Direct talks next week are designed to test exactly that.

The valuation gap that decides everything

This is where the transfer-hype framing collapses. This Is Anfield reported Inter's opening bid at around €20m, which sits well below what Liverpool will accept.

Why Liverpool's £35m figure is justified

Liverpool's reasoning holds up on every metric that matters:

• Jones is only 25, squarely in a midfielder's prime years.
• He carries Premier League and European experience at the highest level.
• As a homegrown academy graduate, he counts toward squad-registration requirements, a value Inter cannot replicate.

That last point is decisive. Under Premier League rules, homegrown players occupy protected squad slots. Selling Jones does not just remove a footballer, it removes a registration asset that is genuinely difficult to replace in the market.

The gap is wide, not narrow

The distance between a €20m opening bid and a £35m valuation is not a rounding error. At current rates that is a difference of well over £10m, and Inter's figure is an opening position, not their ceiling.

Whether they can climb toward Liverpool's number, or whether the contract situation tempts Liverpool to settle lower, is the entire negotiation. Personal terms being agreed changes none of it.

Sell or stay: what Jones means to Liverpool's rebuild

The question underneath the fee is sharper. Do Liverpool see Jones as part of the future, or as a funding mechanism for the summer rebuild?

Iraola's reshape changes the maths

New manager Andoni Iraola is reshaping the squad, and sales are likely to be needed to fund incoming moves. In that context, a homegrown player with one year left and a concrete offer on the table becomes an obvious candidate to cash in.

The cold financial logic is straightforward. If Jones is not guaranteed a central role under Iraola, banking a fee now is preferable to risking a free departure in 2027.

The case for keeping him

That logic ignores what Jones offers beyond a balance-sheet entry. He understands the club, has delivered important performances in recent seasons and provides tactical flexibility across midfield.

Selling a player of that profile to fund the rebuild is not the same as selling surplus. It removes depth and registration value from a squad already in transition.

This is why the deal cannot be treated as simple profit-taking. Inter are pushing, the personal terms are done, and the only missing piece is Liverpool's answer. That answer will reveal how the club truly value Jones, both as a footballer and as an asset.

What happens next

Direct talks between Serie A champions Inter and Liverpool are expected next week. That meeting will establish whether Inter intend to move toward Liverpool's valuation or whether they are content to wait out the contract.

Liverpool's stance is the variable that matters. If they price Jones at £35m and hold firm, Inter must either pay up or walk. If the rebuild creates pressure to raise funds, the gap could close quickly.

For now, the headline overstates the certainty. Jones is not as good as gone. He is a 25-year-old homegrown asset with one year left, wanted by the Italian champions, and Liverpool still control whether he leaves at all.