Inter Milan's Pursuit of Curtis Jones Hits a Wall

Inter Milan’s long courtship of Curtis Jones is close to hitting a wall, not because of a lack of admiration, but because of the price tag pinned to the Liverpool midfielder’s name.

Jones is about to enter the final 12 months of his deal at Anfield. Liverpool are prepared to cash in rather than risk losing the 25-year-old for nothing next summer, yet they have made one thing clear: they will not sell him on the cheap.

Inter’s interest is nothing new. The Serie A champions first made their move in January, testing Liverpool’s resolve with a loan offer that included an option to buy. The response from Merseyside was blunt. No loan, no option, no deal.

That rejection did not cool Inter’s desire. Their recruitment team kept Jones firmly on the radar, returning to the table in recent weeks as they sought to reshape Simone Inzaghi’s midfield. This time they came with a permanent offer: €25 million, around £21.7m.

Liverpool pushed it straight back. Their valuation sits closer to £35m, a gap that is proving stubborn.

On Thursday, Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio admitted the pursuit is in serious trouble.

“I’ve never denied that we like Curtis Jones,” he said. “He has the qualities that could give us something extra. But there’s a significant gap between our valuation and Liverpool’s.

“Liverpool have every right to ask for what they believe is a fair price, and we have every right to decide whether that works for us or not. As things stand, I’d say it’s very difficult.”

That line – “very difficult” – lands like the sound of a door slowly closing. Inter still admire the player, still see him as someone who could add creativity and control, but their structure and Liverpool’s stance are pulling in different directions.

The situation around Jones is complicated further by interest elsewhere in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest want a midfielder after agreeing to sell Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for £116m, a deal that has sent shockwaves through the market. Jones, though, is understood not to be keen on a move to Forest.

The market around him is crowded. Aston Villa and Arsenal have both been linked during this window, clubs with European ambitions and playing styles that could suit a technically sharp, press-resistant midfielder entering his prime years.

For now, though, the numbers rule everything. Inter have drawn a line. Liverpool have drawn theirs a long way further up the page. With the clock ticking on Jones’s contract and the window beginning to harden, someone will have to move – on price, on targets, or on ambition.