Liverpool have set a deadline for Inter Milan in negotiations over a transfer fee for the sale of Curtis Jones as talks begin to drag on.
The Scouser is set to leave Anfield after spending 16 years with the club, and will now begin a new journey in Italy. At present, all indications are that he will leave the club with an agreement with Inter likely not far away.
The 25-year-old has won everything in his career with Liverpool, bar the Champions League, and will likely relish the challenge of a slower, more technical game in Italy.
That is, of course, if Liverpool and Inter can actually reach an agreement over a fee.
Liverpool set deadline for Inter Milan amid meandering talks
The two clubs have been in talks for a few weeks now an agreement yet to be reached although there is reportedly an expectation that they will reach a compromise before too long.
Inter Milan want to do business at around €20m (£17.3m) while Liverpool want closer to €30m (£26m), according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport.
The Serie A outfit want to sign Jones by the 16th of July for pre-season in Germany.
The Italian outlet adds: “The Jones situation is different. There’s still confidence in reaching an agreement with Liverpool, but the Reds remain resistant, as they intend to cash in on the English midfielder’s €30 million sale, including a percentage of his future resale value. Inter, for their part, are stuck with around 20 players and are waiting, confident in the player’s desire and a contract expiring in just a year.
“But aside from the World Cup squad (six: Akanji, Calhanoglu, Sucic, Bonny, Lautaro, and Thuram), Chivu will be able to begin his training camp with a large portion of his squad available. Both the “old” and the new players.”
Liverpool are correct to insist on including a sell-on clause in the player’s sale agreement to Inter Milan. He’s only 25 and with the Reds only selling for around £26m, they could benefit greatly if Jones returns to the Premier League in the coming years.
He might not have cracked the level of a starting midfielder at Anfield, but there is no denying the talent Jones has.
