Curtis Jones now waiting for £130m domino to fall
· Yahoo Sports
Inter Milan have been rebuffed in their latest attempt to sign Curtis Jones from Liverpool.
The Italian champions came up with a €25m verbal offer for the two-time Premier League title-winning midfielder. With a contract expiring in 2027 the outgoing title-holders are running out of time to cash in on the 25-year-old.
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But in order to do business with the Nerazzurri the Serie A side are going to have to go a lot closer to the £35m or so that the Reds require.
The latest reports in Italy suggest that Inter are quite relaxed about their chances of signing Jones. All they are waiting for is one key piece of the puzzle slotting into place.
Frattesi to Forest will unlock Jones deal
That will come with the finalisation of the transfer of Davide Frattesi to Nottingham Forest - who have got the Italy international in mind as a replacement for the Manchester City-bound Elliot Anderson.
“A signing like Jones must be financed through a transfer,” the report in La Gazzetta dello Sport reads.
“The departure in question is still that of Davide Frattesi.
“The formal increase will come once Frattesi's departure has been finalized.
“Inter is awaiting Nottingham Forest's next move, which, in turn, is eager to sell its most prized asset to Manchester City for a monstrous sum: Elliot Anderson for £130 million.
“With the right amount of effort, could reach the £30 million Inter are asking for.”
Inter need Elliot Anderson to join Man City
Jones - a homegrown midfielder - last renewed his contract with the Reds back in 2022. Talks over a new deal have stalled as sporting director Richard Hughes is not currently prepared to pay what Jones believes he’s worth.
Liverpool are prepared to run the risk of losing Jones on a free next summer rather than doing a deal on unfavourable terms.
If the England midfielder stays through the summer - and impresses new coach Andoni Iraola - it also opens up the possibility of a new deal further down the line.