Liverpool's Summer Rebuild: Curtis Jones' Future in Question

Liverpool’s summer rebuild has already brought fresh faces through the door. The next big move could be an exit – and Curtis Jones is right at the centre of it.

Inter circle as Liverpool soften stance

Three signings have arrived at Anfield: Jeremy Jacquet, Ronald Araujo and Victor Munoz. Araujo, the headline addition so far, has joined on loan from Barcelona with a €55m option to buy, shoring up a defence that badly needed depth.

With the back line addressed, Liverpool’s gaze has swung wide. PSG duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye are on the radar as the club looks to add more threat on the flanks. If both deals land, there’s an acceptance that something will have to give in attack. Tottenham are watching closely, with Cody Gakpo potentially freed up if Liverpool complete their wide-forward business.

The outgoing traffic might not stop there. The Athletic recently flagged Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Curtis Jones among those who could depart before the window shuts. Of that group, Jones looks the most immediately vulnerable.

The 25-year-old is into the final year of his contract. No extension talks. No clear sign of a new deal on the horizon. For a club that rarely lets assets drift towards a free transfer, the direction of travel is obvious.

Inter Milan have sensed the opportunity. The Serie A champions tried to prise Jones away in January and have come back harder this summer. Two bids have already gone in, the largest around €30m, but Liverpool pushed back, initially holding out for something closer to €40m–€45m.

That stance appears to be softening.

Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano reports that Inter now believe a deal is there to be done at €35m – roughly £30m. On X, Romano wrote that Inter have kept Jones as a “priority target since May” and now feel a move “could happen with Liverpool at €35m fee.”

There is, however, one major condition. Inter will not move again until Davide Frattesi leaves.

Newcastle’s midfield hunt could trigger Anfield exit

This is where Newcastle United suddenly matter to Liverpool.

Newcastle are scrambling to reshape their midfield after losing Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal in a £75m deal. That departure has left a gaping hole at the heart of Eddie Howe’s side and a sizeable pile of cash to address it.

Options have not fallen kindly. A move for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has already ended in what has been described as a humiliating rejection. Another leading target, Joao Palhinha, is on track to join Aston Villa. Newcastle need a new name – and fast.

That name could be Davide Frattesi.

TEAMtalk revealed on Tuesday that Newcastle have been offered the 26-year-old Italy international. Inter, keen to refresh and re-balance their squad, are open to a sale. The price is set: €30m, around £26m.

If Newcastle decide Frattesi is the answer to their midfield problem, one deal instantly unlocks another. Inter would gain the funds and the freedom to launch what they hope will be a decisive third bid for Jones at the €35m mark.

For Liverpool, that figure is edging closer to a sensible compromise. Cashing in on a homegrown midfielder in the final year of his deal for around £30m would help fuel their own wide-forward recruitment and keep the squad evolution rolling without losing a player for nothing next summer.

So the chain is clear. Newcastle choose Frattesi, Inter push again for Jones, and Liverpool’s window takes on a very different shape.

Now it comes down to how badly each club wants its man – and how much risk Liverpool are willing to take on a midfielder whose contract clock is ticking loudly.