Headline: Inter Milan Secures Curtis Jones in €35m Transfer from Liverpool
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has officially signed with Inter Milan for a reported fee of €35 million (£30 million), marking a significant move in the summer transfer window. Jones, who previously played a crucial role in Liverpool’s success, caught the attention of the Italian side after his standout performance during a match at the San Siro last December.
In that match, Liverpool triumphed over Inter, who were then struggling, having lost nine of their last 15 games. Jones was celebrated as the best player on the pitch, showcasing his talent and influence. Following this display, Inter attempted to secure Jones on loan shortly after, but their offers of €25 million in June and subsequent bids were unsuccessful until now.
Liverpool had initially hoped to receive €40 million for Jones, especially given the rising prices in the midfield market this summer. The transfer market has seen high-profile deals, like Mateus Fernandes for £85 million and Sandro Tonali for £100 million, leading to a perception that Inter has secured a valuable player at a bargain price.
Jones’s departure raises questions about Liverpool’s contract management, as his contract was entering its final year. The club has faced challenges in retaining key players, recently allowing several to depart either on free transfers or for under their market value. This trend has created a disconnect with fans, especially as both Jones and fellow Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold now play abroad.
Despite his contributions, including 228 appearances for Liverpool, Jones struggled to secure a consistent starting position. He finished last season as a right-back but is recognized more for his midfield capabilities. Throughout his career, he maintained over a 90% pass completion rate in the Premier League, establishing himself as a reliable player who can positively impact the game.
At just 19, Jones became Liverpool’s youngest-ever captain in a match where many senior players were absent. His demeanor and ambition suggested he could have continued to grow as a leader within the squad, especially under new coach Andoni Iraola. With the arrival of a new top midfielder this season, competition for a starting spot has intensified, raising the stakes for Jones at Inter.
In Milan, he joins a competitive midfield lineup, including Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu. While there may be opportunities for game time, his past performance at the San Siro proves his ability to shine on big occasions. As Inter prepares for the season, Jones’s journey continues, leaving Liverpool to contemplate a future without his homegrown talent.
The last time Curtis Jones played at the San Siro, he identified why Liverpool‘s tactics succeeded. “I think it works because I am playing,” he said. That, perhaps, is Jones, cheeky and confident, but also a footballer with the capacity to exert an influence.
It was last December, three days after Mohamed Salah’s explosive interview at Leeds, with Liverpool omitting their greatest goalscorer for decades from the squad they took to Italy, with Arne Slot’s side having lost nine of their previous 15 games. They beat the 2025 Champions League finalists on their home turf. Jones was the best player on the pitch.
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So it scarcely felt a coincidence when, about seven weeks later, Internazionale responded by trying to take Jones on loan. They failed, as they did with a €25m bid in June. A €35m (£30m) offer in August will represent a case of third time lucky, Inter landing their man.
Curtis Jones was the best player on the pitch when Liverpool beat Inter in December (Getty)
Liverpool have not quite got their valuation – they wanted €40m (£34m) a few weeks ago – and, in a summer when prices have skyrocketed in the midfield market, with Mateus Fernandes going for £85m, Sandro Tonali £100m and Elliot Anderson £116m, there is the sense Inter are getting a bargain in Jones.
Liverpool should have plenty of other regrets. Jones’ price was reduced because he was in the last year of his contract and they have played this game of brinkmanship too often in recent years, either losing players on free transfers – most recently Ibrahima Konate and, in different circumstances, Andy Robertson and Salah, but also Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi – or risking doing so, with the 2024 trio of Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, for whom they eventually received €10m, a fraction of his real value. Liverpool probably need to get better at negotiating contract extensions sooner.
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They should lament the loss of a local, too; two Scousers, Alexander-Arnold and Jones, will be found in Madrid and Milan rather than Merseyside. A disconnect between the fanbase and the players emerged last season; it was felt that too few of them live in Liverpool. Without Jones, there won’t be a real homegrown presence in the side.
Then there is the question of if it could have been different. Jones was good enough to play for Liverpool – 228 times, more than Fabinho, Xabi Alonso or Philippe Coutinho – without necessarily nailing down a starting berth, seemingly to his frustration.
He had good spells in each of the last three campaigns but has never started 20 league games in a season. Under Arne Slot, he was fourth in line for a place in a three-man midfield; at least until Florian Wirtz’s arrival complicated the equation. The Dutchman pointed out that Jones played more matches in a year for him than ever before – 49 in 2025-26 – but the sense was his pecking order was too rigid; even when Alexis Mac Allister was poor last season, Slot tended to keep him in the team, along with Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, which cost Jones. It was notable that his starring role at San Siro came in a midfield diamond, when Slot picked all four.
Jones played 228 times for Liverpool but struggled to find a regular starting spot (Getty)
Jones was a two-time Premier League title winner (Getty)
He ended last season as the regular right-back; but that clearly was not a long-term role. The issue of what Jones is may be unresolved. He sprang to prominence with a wonderful Merseyside derby winner when just 18 but scored too few goals; just 22 in those 228 Liverpool games, only one in the Premier League last season. But a reason to deem him an elite player was his ability to keep the ball. In each of the last six years, his pass completion rate in the Premier League has been over 90 per cent, even though he does not always take the safe option; as his performance in the San Siro showed, he has the personality to want the ball.
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That charisma was apparent, too, when he became Liverpool’s youngest-ever captain, albeit while the senior squad were absent, at 19; the armband, and Jones’ ambition, were issues again in pre-season when Szoboszlai passed it to Kostas Tsimikas in pre-season, leading to an altercation. Under other circumstances, it would have been easy to envisage Jones brought into a leadership group at Anfield this year.
Instead, perhaps, new head coach Andoni Iraola may deem Trey Nyoni’s precocity in pre-season to think he does not need to buy to replace Jones; with Wirtz installed as a No 10, there is one fewer midfield place.
Inter, with their fondness for 3-5-2, play a trio. Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu and Piotr Zielinski should start off as the first choices. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is still there, Aleksandar Stankovic has joined and, with Davide Frattesi loaned by Lazio, Jones has made it six options for three spots. He may be watching on from the bench again, but he has shown he can be the man of the match at San Siro.
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