Liverpool have restarted negotiations with Inter Milan regarding a £30m transfer for Curtis Jones, who is entering the final 12 months of his current contract.
The Serie A side have monitored Jones throughout the close season and have had multiple approaches rejected by the Merseyside club, who have been holding out for approximately £35m for the 25-year-old.
Back in June, the Italian outfit submitted a bid of roughly £21m which was swiftly dismissed by Liverpool’s hierarchy, and at that stage it appeared discussions had broken down completely given the significant gap between the two clubs’ valuations.
Nevertheless, Inter came back with an enhanced proposal last month whilst Liverpool were conducting their pre-season preparations in America.
The Lombardy-based club made contact through intermediaries to indicate their willingness to pay £30m, and those conversations intensified on Wednesday.
Inter’s sale of Davide Frattesi to Lazio has now given them the financial flexibility to re-enter talks with Liverpool, and while sources maintain no deal has been finalised yet, an agreement between the clubs is understood to be getting closer.
Jones was absent from Liverpool’s last two pre-season matches against Monaco and Como due to a hip injury, despite the academy product having participated in full training sessions at the AXA Centre in Kirkby.
During July, new manager Andoni Iraola expressed his desire to secure Jones on extended terms with the club he grew up supporting and indicated he intended to discuss the midfielder’s long-term future.
Iraola stated he held Jones in very high regard, describing him as a tremendous player while emphasising the significance of his local roots and character. He expressed optimism about retaining him not just for the upcoming campaign but for an extended period.
With only one year remaining on his existing deal, Liverpool are unwilling to allow another prominent player to depart without compensation following the summer exits of Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, particularly considering Jones’s age and potential value.
It is believed Jones has grown disillusioned by insufficient senior appearances, having started only 16 of his 34 Premier League fixtures under Arne Slot last term.
He did enjoy a run of seven consecutive starts during December and early January as Slot’s side embarked on an unbeaten sequence that ultimately extended to 13 matches.
However, he concluded the campaign operating as an emergency right-back, sitting behind Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch in the central midfield rankings.
Should Jones depart, Trey Nyoni is expected to assume greater responsibility this season after catching the eye during pre-season under Iraola.