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Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones first emerged on Inter Milan’s radar in January, but no deal materialised and he remained at Anfield.
The 25-year-old’s contract runs until 2027, meaning sporting director Richard Hughes faces a decision over his long-term future. Liverpool value the England international at around £35million, but talks with Inter have failed to produce an agreement.
The Serie A club have so far been unwilling to increase their offer much beyond £20million, a figure well below Liverpool’s valuation. As a result, Inter are close to ending their pursuit.
Piero Ausilio, Inter’s sporting director, said: “I have never denied our interest in this lad; we also tried in January. I must be just as honest though: we like him, he is a player who certainly has the characteristics that could potentially add something extra to our midfield, which is already very strong.
“However, at the moment there is quite a significant gap between the valuation we have and Liverpool’s. Since he is a Liverpool player, he has every right to ask for what he legitimately wants, but we have every right to say whether it works for us or not, so right now I would say it’s a very difficult deal.”
Liverpool are prepared to keep Jones this summer rather than sell below their asking price. With several players returning late for pre-season due to the FIFA World Cup, Jones will have an opportunity to impress new head coach Andoni Iraola.
The Reds are not currently in talks over a contract extension, although a new deal has not been ruled out if he remains beyond the transfer window.
Any potential move could be influenced by the record £116million transfer of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, which has inflated the midfield market.
Nottingham Forest are considering a move for Jones as a possible replacement for Anderson. However, according to the Liverpool Echo, while Forest are keen, Jones is reluctant to make the switch to the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest have, meanwhile, parted ways with Vítor Pereira and are set to appoint Oliver Glasner as his replacement.
Glasner left Crystal Palace at the end of last season after guiding them to Europa Conference League success, running down his contract and rejecting offers to extend his stay.
Pereira’s departure would come as a surprise, even by Forest’s recent standards of frequent managerial changes. The 57-year-old was appointed in February on an 18-month deal and succeeded in steering Forest to Premier League safety following the dismissal of Sean Dyche.
If confirmed, his exit would make his replacement the club’s fourth permanent manager since Nuno Espírito Santo was sacked in September. Since then, Forest have also had Ange Postecoglou in charge, though his spell lasted only a few weeks.