Liverpool have knocked back a bid from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones with the Reds star about to enter the final year of his contract at Anfield
Curtis Jones could be on the move for this summer(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool have rejected a second offer from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones. The Reds have knocked back a £21million bid from the Serie A giants, according to the Times.
The offer falls a long way below Liverpool’s valuation of Jones, and it is claimed that the Merseyside club’s hierarchy are growing irritated by Inter’s approaches. The Reds do not see the suitors as serious contenders for the midfielder’s signature; such is the gap in how they value Jones.
Jones, 25, is rated at £35m by the Reds with the club believing that is a fair market value after Conor Gallagher joined Tottenham from Atletico Madrid in January for a similar fee. Liverpool knocked back an approach from Inter during the winter when the Italian side hoped to agree a loan deal with view to a permanent transfer.
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Liverpool’s academy product has just one year remaining on his contract at Anfield, with no talks currently taking place over an extension. Despite that, sporting director Richard Hughes is noted to have little interest in talks with Inter after they suggested they would not pay more than £21.7m.
With a new contract not forthcoming, talk over Jones’ future will persist. Former Liverpool forward Emile Heskey reckons a switch to Serie could see Jones kick on in his career.
“I’d be very surprised if he’s not pushing for a new contract,” Heskey told LiveFootballTickets. “So there’s something there that tells me that they’re not willing to offer him what he wants.
Curtis Jones has just one year remaining on his current Liverpool contract(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“They’re either not willing to offer him a new contract or they’re not willing to offer him what he wants in that contract. He’s got ambitions to be a regular England player. So he needs to be playing regularly, and I think he can become a regular England player but he needs to be playing regularly at his club.
“I think if Liverpool can’t give him that I think he then looks at other pastures. You look at Scott McTominay (at Napoli) who has gone on to play in Italy and he’s been lauded for it.
“He’s actually changed the way people look at him as a footballer, and I think Curtis has got the ability to do that. He’s got so much ability to lead and he could play in several different positions.”
In better news for Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Ivory Coast star Yann Diomande has discussed the possibility of a Premier League move. Liverpool have told Leipzig they are willing to bid up to £86m for the 19-year-old.
“Would I be open to the Premier League? I don’t know,” Diomande said. “I am an RB Leipzig player, but why not? My agents will sort that out.
“As for me I am more focused on the World Cup, that’s the most important thing. It doesn’t happen all the time, it’s only every four years, so I am making the most of it and for the rest, we’ll see.”
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