Liverpool have resumed talks with Inter Milan over the sale of Curtis Jones in a potential deal worth £30m.
The Italian giants have tracked Jones all summer and have seen a handful of bids turned down by the Reds, who have been seeking closer to £35m for the 25-year-old.
Inter's Renewed Pursuit
In June, the Nerazzurri had an offer of around £21m rejected out of hand by Anfield chiefs and it was thought at the time that negotiations were over, given the considerable difference in valuation between the two clubs.
However, Inter returned with an improved offer last month during the Reds' pre-season tour of the United States. The Serie A club reached out via intermediaries to signal they were prepared to table £30m and those discussions gathered pace on Wednesday.
The transfer of Davide Frattesi to Lazio has now enabled Inter to return to the negotiating table with Liverpool and while it has been stressed there is no agreement in place currently, a deal is believed to be nearing between the two parties.
Contract Situation and Pre-Season
Jones missed the final two friendlies of Liverpool's pre-season schedule, against Monaco and Como, with a hip problem cited as the reason, despite the Academy graduate featuring in team training at the AXA Centre in Kirkby.
In July, new head coach Andoni Iraola had spoken about his hope of tying Jones down to fresh terms with his boyhood club and said he planned to talk to the midfielder about his long-term plans.
“I rate Curtis very highly,” Iraola said. “For me he is a great, great player and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing.
“It’s very important that he’s Scouse; that he’s from here. I also like the personality. From the outside at least he looks like a player with good character and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time.”
Frustration and Future Impact
However, with a year left on his deal, Liverpool are reluctant to see another high-profile player walk away as a free agent after the end-of-season departures of Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, particularly given Jones's age.
It's thought that Jones has become frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities, with the former Under-21s captain starting just 16 of his 34 Premier League appearances under Arne Slot last season. Jones started seven successive games across December and early January as Slot's side went on an unbeaten run that eventually stretched to 13 games. He finished the season as a makeshift right-back, however, behind Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in the midfield pecking order.
A potential Jones exit means Trey Nyoni will likely be expected to play a more prominent role this coming campaign after an impressive pre-season period under Iraola.
