Inter Milan have shown their interest in signing Curtis Jones as he enters the final year of his Liverpool contract.
The news has come via Paul Joyce, who states that Liverpool value the midfielder in the region of £35 million.
The news comes after an effort from the Italian giants to sign the midfielder was unsuccessful in January.
Fabrizio Romano shared this interest in April and understands that the move from Inter will be dependent on the price. Interestingly, he also disclosed that there was interest from other Premier League clubs, which could help drive up the price for Liverpool.
Curtis Jones and his path from local lad to the first team
Curtis Jones offers one of the few lasting pieces of Scouse identity to the Liverpool squad. As a local lad, he joined the Liverpool academy at nine, having grown up in the city.
He signed his first professional contract for the club in February 2018, shortly after his 17th birthday. Jones featured regularly in cup competitions under Jurgen Klopp in those early stages of his career.
He began to creep closer to the first team in the 2019-20 season, making his Premier League debut in December 2019.
That same campaign, he became a key part of Klopp’s cup sides. In October 2019, he scored the winning penalty in a dramatic 5-5 (5-4 on penalties) EFL Cup penalty shootout victory against Arsenal.
A few months later, in January 2020, he scored a spectacular curling goal as a young Liverpool side picked up a famous 1-0 win over a full-strength Everton side in the FA Cup third round.
Since then, he has been a regular in the first-team setup but has failed to lock down an absolute starting spot. His most starts in a single domestic campaign peaked at 19 during Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League title-winning season.
Lack of opportunity under Slot
At 25, Jones should be looking to progress in his role as a first-team player. The inability to lock down a starting place in Arne Slot’s best midfield has been a problem. He has worked hard to transition into a deeper midfield role in recent years, and his role reflects the quality that he can have from deep.
This season, he has played in 33 games, although has only started on 17 occasions. Slot has also opted to deploy the midfielder at right-back this season. This has been due to regular injuries to Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez.
The starting midfield has typically been made up of three of Dominik Szaoboszlai, Alexis MacAllister, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch.
A problem ahead for the Liverpool squad
Liverpool could be facing a massive problem heading into the summer transfer window as their squad shows a severe lack of homegrown talent. The Reds will have very few first-team players who meet the criteria, especially if players like Jones or Joe Gomez are used to fund future transfers.
This could shape the transfer policy of the squad as the board will need to focus on purchasing players who meet this homegrown status first, rather than picking players who fit the needs of the squad best.
With the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold last summer, there would also be a clear lack of “Scouse identity” amongst the squad if Jones were to leave the club. Jones has been crucial for providing local links for the club. He has been heavily used for media and sponsorship opportunities to build those links between the club and the community.
ReadLiverpoolFC Verdict
Losing Curtis Jones would be a massive, multifaceted blow for Liverpool, and the club must think long and hard before cashing in on a £35 million valuation.
On the pitch, it is easy to see why frustration might be creeping in for the 25-year-old. He is no longer a developing youngster; he needs consistent minutes in his preferred central role, and being shunted to right-back to cover injuries isn’t a sustainable solution for his career. When Arne Slot’s midfield is fully fit, Jones simply finds himself stuck behind an elite, crowded pecking order.
While Inter Milan and rival Premier League clubs smell blood, Liverpool must resist. Unless an undeniable, astronomical bid arrives that completely blows their £35 million valuation out of the water, keeping Jones as a high-quality, versatile squad rotation option is infinitely more valuable than the money gained from selling him.
