Inter Milan are maintaining their pursuit of Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones but have signalled they will walk away from negotiations unless the Premier League club lower their €40 million asking price. The Serie A side have tabled a €25m bid for the England international, who has entered the final twelve months of his contract at Anfield.
Sporting director Piero Ausilio publicly confirmed the club’s stance while emphasising their financial limits. Speaking at the Festival dello Sport in Parma, Ausilio addressed the valuation gap: “A minimal gap? That’s what you say, the millions aren’t yours,” he remarked. “We were interested in January and we still are now. We tried and we’ll try again, if we meet on the valuation, good; if not, we’ll do something else.”
Despite the €15m disparity, intermediaries for both clubs have remained in contact over the past week. Jones is said to favour a move to Serie A, with Inter head coach Cristian Chivu a particular admirer of the 23-year-old. However, Inter have warned they are prepared to abandon the deal, first explored in January, rather than increase their offer.
Arsenal competition complicates talks
The situation has grown more complex following reports that Arsenal have entered the race for Jones’s signature. The Gunners reportedly turned their attention to the Liverpool academy graduate after encountering difficulties with alternative targets. A move for Sandro Tonali was abandoned after his price “exploded,” while a verbal £55m bid for Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães was rejected.
Arsenal’s involvement presents a significant threat to Inter’s hopes, given the London club’s greater financial resources. While Jones personally favours a switch to San Siro, the Emirates outfit could potentially meet Liverpool’s €40m valuation that Inter consider excessive for a player with one year remaining on his deal.
The coming weeks will prove decisive as Liverpool must weigh whether to accept a reduced fee or risk losing the midfielder for nothing next summer. Inter remain committed to their maximum offer, leaving the transfer delicately poised as pre-season approaches.