Liverpool are preparing to complete two separate departures from their squad, with long-serving defender Curtis Jones edging closer to a switch to Inter Milan while young centre-back Trent Ndukwe is set for a loan spell in Spain.
According to reports from The Athletic, Inter have agreed a fee of €30 million up front for Jones, with a further €5 million available through performance-related add-ons. The 25-year-old has reportedly been cleared to travel to Italy in order to undergo a medical ahead of finalising the transfer.
Should the deal go through, Jones will become the third player to leave the Premier League for the San Siro this summer, joining Tottenham Hotspur's Djed Spence and former Manchester City defender John Stones, who arrived at Inter on a free transfer earlier in the window.
Jones' departure would bring to a close a near two-decade association with Liverpool that began in the club's academy. Across his time with the first team, he made 228 appearances and scored 22 goals. He remained a key figure through to the end of last season, featuring in all but four of Liverpool's Premier League matches and starting on 18 occasions.
Meanwhile, defender Trent Ndukwe is expected to join Spanish side Levante on a season-long loan without an option to buy, as reported by transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano. The move comes despite Ndukwe having impressed during pre-season training and being regarded by many at the club as ready to contribute at first-team level.
The reasoning behind the loan centres on Ndukwe's work permit status. As an Austrian national, he is currently ineligible to play professional football in England, meaning a temporary spell abroad is necessary for him to continue developing as a player. The hope within Liverpool is that regular football at Levante will allow him to accumulate the experience required to eventually qualify for a permit and return to compete for a place in the senior squad.
Ndukwe was recently pictured arriving at Liverpool's training complex to complete a medical examination ahead of the move, signalling that the loan arrangement is close to being finalised.
The timing of Ndukwe's exit is likely to be viewed as somewhat unfortunate by supporters, given the club's current defensive concerns. Joe Gomez remains sidelined for the opening weeks of the season, while the timeline for Giovanni Leoni's return to top-flight action is still uncertain.
Liverpool have, however, received some positive news at the back. Jeremy Jacquet marked his debut for the club with a goal last week, and Ronald Araujo has since joined on loan from Barcelona, providing an experienced option to help ease the burden on the club's centre-back options.
Elsewhere, Liverpool are continuing their efforts to strengthen the squad further, with talks reportedly ongoing over a potential deal to bring winger Bradley Barcola to Anfield before the transfer window closes.
With both Jones and Ndukwe's futures seemingly close to resolution, attention now turns to how Liverpool plan to reshape their squad amid ongoing fitness concerns in defence and continued interest in reinforcing their attacking options.
Based on reporting from standard-football (via The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano).