The Curtis Jones transfer saga is entering a new and increasingly complex phase, and Inter Milan are playing a sophisticated game to get what they want.
The background is well-established at this point.
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Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio has met directly with Liverpool’s Richard Hughes to discuss a deal for the 25-year-old Liverpool midfielder, who has made his desire to move to the San Siro absolutely clear and has already agreed personal terms with the Italian champions.
The sticking point is the fee.
Liverpool are holding firm at €30 million.
Inter’s offer stands at €20 million.
A €10 million gap that, on the surface, seems bridgeable, but has so far proved stubbornly resistant to resolution.
Jones, for his part, has refused to renew a contract that expires in June 2027, which gives Liverpool an uncomfortable timeline.
Sell now for a fee, or risk losing him for nothing in twelve months.
Inter, however, are not simply waiting around for Liverpool to blink.
According to reports from Corriere dello Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian champions have been active in the Udinese market, and the emerging details of those dealings reveal a deliberate, calculated strategy designed to apply indirect pressure on Liverpool’s position.
Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio recently held extensive talks with Udinese counterpart Gianluca Nani.
The discussions focused primarily on French defender Oumar Solet, with negotiations now at an advanced stage and the two clubs separated by just €3 million in their valuation of the player.
A four-year contract worth €2.5 million per season has already been agreed with the player’s representatives.
That deal is, for all practical purposes, done.
But it is the second Udinese name that has caught Liverpool’s attention, and is designed to.
Arthur Atta, a 23-year-old French midfielder who arrived from Metz and has since developed significantly both physically and technically, has been identified by Inter as an alternative to Jones in midfield.
Gazzetta’s report is explicit: Inter view Atta as a backup option specifically in the event that a deal for the Liverpool man cannot be reached.
His valuation has risen to over €20 million, and Inter’s enquiries, while still preliminary, are real.
The logic is transparent and deliberate.
By publicly pursuing a capable alternative and simultaneously moving on other Udinese business, Inter are sending Liverpool a clear message: Jones is our first choice, but he is not our only option.
Come to the table, or we move on.
It is classic negotiating leverage, and it may work.
Liverpool are aware that Inter’s resolve is genuine, that Jones himself is pushing for the move, and that a sale now is significantly preferable to a free departure in a year’s time.
Richard Hughes now holds the key.
A compromise around €25 million, with or without a sell-on clause, appears to be where this is heading.
Inter are patient.
But they are also prepared.