Curtis Jones has completed his move from Liverpool to Internazionale, with the Italian giants finally landing a player they had pursued for months, in a deal reportedly worth €35m (£30m).
Inter's interest in the 24-year-old midfielder dates back to at least December, when Jones delivered a man-of-the-match display as Liverpool beat the eventual 2025 Champions League finalists on their own turf at the San Siro. That performance, coming during a difficult stretch for Arne Slot's side who had lost nine of their previous 15 matches, appeared to convince Inter of Jones's quality. Reflecting on that display at the time, Jones offered a cheeky explanation for Liverpool's success, saying: "I think it works because I am playing."
Inter subsequently attempted to sign Jones on loan roughly seven weeks after that display, before that approach failed. A €25m bid followed in June, which was also rejected. It was only with a third attempt in August, at €35m, that Inter finally got their man, after Liverpool had reportedly held out for closer to €40m (£34m) just weeks earlier.
The transfer represents another instance of Liverpool losing a player for less than his perceived value due to contract situations running down. Jones was entering the final year of his deal, a scenario that has played out repeatedly for the Merseyside club in recent years. Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Divock Origi have all left on free transfers in similar circumstances, while more recently Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson have found themselves in comparable positions. In 2024, Liverpool were forced to sell Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold for a combined fee of just €10m amid contract uncertainty.
Jones's exit also continues a trend of local talent leaving Anfield, following Alexander-Arnold's departure for Real Madrid. With Jones now in Milan, Liverpool will have no genuine homegrown presence in their squad, a point of sensitivity given reported friction last season over the perceived disconnect between the fanbase and a squad increasingly made up of players not based in Liverpool.
During his time at Anfield, Jones made 228 appearances, more than club legends such as Fabinho, Xabi Alonso or Philippe Coutinho managed, and won two Premier League titles. Yet he never secured a truly settled starting role, never starting more than 20 league matches in a single season. Under Slot, he was often fourth choice for a three-man midfield, particularly after Florian Wirtz's arrival added further competition. Slot had noted that Jones featured in 49 matches during the 2025-26 campaign, more than in any previous season, though the head coach's midfield selections tended to remain rigid, favouring Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai even during less impressive form.
Jones's standout San Siro performance came when Slot deployed a midfield diamond, accommodating all four options together. Beyond that occasion, though, he struggled to nail down a consistent role, ending last season used primarily as a makeshift right-back.
Despite his ball-retention qualities, Jones was rarely prolific, scoring just 22 goals in 228 Liverpool appearances, with only one coming in the Premier League last season. However, he was consistently effective in possession, maintaining a pass completion rate above 90 per cent in the Premier League in each of the last six years.
At Inter, who typically deploy a 3-5-2 system, Jones joins a crowded midfield picture featuring Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, new arrival Aleksandar Stankovic and loanee Davide Frattesi, meaning he may again have to fight for a starting berth. Liverpool, meanwhile, appear unlikely to bring in a direct replacement, with academy prospect Trey Nyoni impressing during pre-season and Wirtz occupying a central attacking role that reduces the number of available midfield slots.
Based on reporting from The Independent.