Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones appears destined to depart Anfield and move to Italian Serie A winners Inter Milan in a deal worth £30million.
Following 228 senior appearances for the club, the 25-year-old England international is poised to continue his career abroad after entering the final 12 months of his current deal at the Merseyside stadium.
The attacking midfielder’s future has dominated discussion throughout the summer transfer window, with Jones having featured 49 times across all competitions last season yet apparently feeling the time has come to pursue a fresh opportunity elsewhere.
Despite being a regular starter, observers have noted that over the past year the Scouser has frequently found himself behind Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai in the pecking order for central midfield roles, managing just 16 Premier League starts from his total of 34 top-flight appearances.
The situation has been complicated further by the rise of fellow homegrown talent Trey Nyoni during pre-season preparations, alongside the continued presence of Florian Wirtz and the returning Harvey Elliott, making a departure increasingly likely.
Inter Milan have emerged as the frontrunners throughout the summer to secure Jones’s signature, joining an expanding contingent of English players at the San Siro following John Stones and Djed Spence’s respective moves to the Italian giants.
Several previous offers were turned down by the Reds, but after Inter raised funds by selling David Frattesi to city rivals Lazio, talks over a £30million switch have accelerated significantly, with both clubs now understood to be in advanced negotiations.
Jones sat out Liverpool’s closing two pre-season matches against Monaco and Como due to a hip complaint, despite having participated in full training sessions at the club’s AXA Centre base in Kirkby.
The Anfield hierarchy have grown increasingly concerned regarding Jones’s contractual position and are eager to avoid losing another prominent player without compensation after key senior figures Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson all departed following the conclusion of last season.
However, questions remain over whether £30million represents fair value for the midfielder, particularly given the substantial fees commanded by midfielders this summer, such as Nottingham Forest’s £116million sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City.