Liverpool reject Inter's second £21m bid for Curtis Jones, £14m short of asking price

Liverpool have rejected a second bid from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones, with the Serie A club’s £21m offer falling £14m short of the Reds’ stated valuation of the 25-year-old midfielder, according to the Times.

The Merseyside club’s hierarchy is said to be growing increasingly frustrated by Inter’s repeated approaches below their asking price, to the point where they no longer consider the Italian side a serious suitor. Sporting director Richard Hughes is reported to have little appetite for further discussions after Inter signalled they would not go beyond £21.7m.

Liverpool have pegged Jones’ value at £35m, pointing to Conor Gallagher’s move from Atletico Madrid to Tottenham in January as a comparable benchmark. Inter had also made an approach in the winter window, when they hoped to secure a loan deal with an option to buy permanently — that too was rebuffed.

The situation is complicated by Jones’ contract status. The academy graduate has just one year remaining on his current deal, and no negotiations over an extension are currently underway, leaving his long-term future at Anfield unresolved.

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes the impasse over a new contract may be telling. “I’d be very surprised if he’s not pushing for a new contract,” Heskey said. “So there’s something there that tells me that they’re not willing to offer him what he wants. 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.”

Heskey drew a parallel with Scott McTominay’s move to Napoli, suggesting a switch to Serie A could similarly revitalise Jones’ career. “He’s got so much ability to lead and he could play in several different positions,” he added.

With Inter unwilling to meet Liverpool’s valuation and a contract renewal looking unlikely, the uncertainty surrounding Jones’ future at Anfield is set to persist into the summer.