Andoni Iraola has made a definitive decision on Curtis Jones’ Liverpool future just weeks into his Anfield tenure.
Inter Milan ramping up their pursuit of the midfielder, the new Reds boss has already greenlit plans to replace the academy graduate with an £80 million tactical lookalike.
Jones has racked up 228 appearances for his boyhood club since his first-team breakthrough at the tail end of the 2019/2020 campaign, chipping in with 22 goals and 25 assists.
Yet, the 25-year-old has rarely locked down a guaranteed spot in the starting XI, and his peripheral role under former boss Arne Slot caused growing frustration.
A winter move to the San Siro nearly materialised in January. Slot, however, blocked the transfer at the eleventh hour, citing a paper-thin squad and pointing out that he had “only having 16 outfield players” when the Serie A giants initially enquired.
The San Siro negotiation table
The landscape has drastically shifted this summer. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano delivered a major update on his YouTube channel last Saturday, confirming that negotiations have advanced significantly.
Romano stated:
“Inter are very interested in Curtis Jones. Inter are talking to Liverpool. Inter are starting around €20m [£17.3m], Liverpool want more than €30m [£25.9m], maybe including a sell-on clause and bonuses. So there’s still a big gap between Inter and Liverpool, but the deal is on.
The England international is keen on the move and Chiesa said Jones asked him how life is in Italy.
Inter Milan’s hierarchy has done little to damp down the speculation. Speaking openly about the club’s summer recruitment strategy last week, sporting director Piero Ausilio laid bare their intentions. Ausilio confirmed: “Curtis Jones, we are paying attention to him. We didn’t hide. We understand what the developments will be.
No clean slate under the new regime
While sections of the Anfield faithful expected Andoni Iraola’s arrival to offer Jones a clean slate, reports from Italy indicate otherwise. Gazzetta dello Sport insist that the Basque manager’s appointment ‘did not pave the way for a U-turn’ and that the Anfield board will readily sanction a sale if a club meets their £35 million price tag.
Jones simply does not feature in Iraola’s long-term tactical blueprint. Instead, the 43-year-old coach wants to bring Bournemouth starlet Alex Scott to Merseyside. Iraola views his former pupil as a tactical ‘photocopy’ of Jones, a development that would only slide the Scouser further down the midfield pecking order and intensify his eagerness for a change of scenery.
While the Cherries want at least £80 million for the standard-bearer, Liverpool currently value the player closer to the £60 million mark.
To fund Iraola’s ambitious rebuilding project, Liverpool may have to make some ruthless decisions elsewhere in the squad. Real Madrid continue to circle Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister, and the Reds could reluctantly sacrifice the midfielder to boost their primary transfer spending.
Transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke outlined the club’s financial reality when speaking to Football Insider:
“Liverpool have to wheel and deal in the market this summer to try and raise some cash to boost their own transfer kitty. Mac Allister is somebody that they could reluctantly cash in on. He still has good value and is a World Cup winner, so if he goes and has a good World Cup again this month.
Then that’ll obviously maybe bring other teams to the table as well. Liverpool, right now, are looking to strengthen rather than weaken the squad, but if they are needing to sell players, Mac Allister could be one of those that could be sacrificed.”
ReadLiverpoolFC Verdict
Letting a homegrown talent like Curtis Jones leave hurts, but football under Andoni Iraola moves fast. Jones has spent years on the periphery of the first team, and at 25, he needs regular minutes that Liverpool simply cannot guarantee. If Inter Milan edge closer to the club’s £35m valuation, shaking hands makes total sense for all parties.
Replacing him with Alex Scott is a mouth-watering prospect, even if Bournemouth’s £80m price tag feels steep. Scott understands Iraola’s intense, high-pressing transition system inside out. Securing him gives the manager a ready-made engine room operator.
The worrying note here is the potential sacrifice of Alexis Mac Allister. Selling a world-class midfielder to fund a rebuild feels like a step backward, and the Anfield hierarchy must exhaust all other fundraising avenues before they even consider giving Real Madrid a green light.
