Inter Milan willing to pay £30m for Curtis Jones - but Liverpool are holding out for more

Inter Milan have intimated they are willing to pay £30million for Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones.

Notice was given via intermediaries but Liverpool maintain the 25-year-old, who has one year left on contract, is valued at a minimum £35m.

Liverpool dismissed Inter's last offer of £21.75m.

Liverpool remain in talks over a deal for Bradley Barcola with Paris Saint-Germain and are assessing other positions.

They have received enquiries for some of their fringe players who have impressed on tour in USA with Luke Chambers, Lewis Koumas, Calum Scanlon and Ifeanyi Ndukwe all attracting interest.

Piero Ausilio, Inter's sporting director, confirmed he was still on their radar earlier this summer, saying: 'Curtis Jones - we are paying attention to him. We didn't hide. We understand what the developments will be.'

Liverpool are gearing up for their first season under new manager Andoni Iraola, who succeeded Arne Slot after he was sacked at the end of last campaign.

Having splashed out over £450m on new signings including Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike last summer, the 2024-25 champions struggled to reach the same heights again under the Dutchman and only narrowly managed to qualify for the Champions League with a fifth-place finish last term.

Liverpool, who waved farewell to Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Ibrahima Konate at the start of the summer, have so far recruited centre-half Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennais and left winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna ahead of the new campaign.

While theoretically all first-team places are up for grabs under new boss Iraola, Jones has been viewed as a squad player at Anfield over recent seasons, playing second fiddle to fellow central midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wirtz under Slot and previously Jurgen Klopp.

Should Inter succeed in their pursuit of Jones, he would not be the first Englishman lured to the San Siro this summer.

Manchester City legend John Stones, who left the Etihad before playing a key role for England at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, completed a free transfer to the Italian giants earlier this week.