Liverpool may yet offer Curtis Jones a new contract at the club.
That’s despite the midfielder’s spat with teammate Dominik Szoboszlai.
The pair clashed following Liverpool’s pre-season win over Wrexham in New York, with fellow Reds players Kostas Tsimikas and Jeremie Frimpong stepping in to try and diffuse the situation.
Inter Milan are among the clubs interested in signing Jones but Liverpool are not dead set on offloading their academy graduate, reports Ben Jacobs.
Joining Shaun Custis and Henry Winter on talkSPORT, Jacobs explained: “Inter are pushing for Curtis Jones. They made an offer, in inverted commas – although Liverpool don’t really see it as a formal bid – in the region of €35million (approximately £29m) and that’s their third approach – €32million and €25million were the other numbers.
“And Jones would welcome a move to Inter. Liverpool want a minimum of €40m and in this inflated market, some people are even saying €50m.
“And yet, if the window shuts, we might get the opposite extreme, because Andoni Iraola’s said that he likes Curtis Jones – and despite the bust-up you mentioned, Liverpool are not averse to offering Jones a new deal if he stays.
“But my sense is Inter will be back and Liverpool are a bit frustrated by this because they don’t want it through intermediaries anymore.
“The perspective of the club, according to my info, is if Inter want Curtis Jones – a bit like Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle-Arsenal – knock on our front door, make us a formal offer and then you might find a financial compromise.
“So, this is going to be one to watch in the month of August.”
Jones has just under a year to run on his Liverpool contract, meaning he would be available on a free transfer next summer should he not sign an extension – a situation the Reds will want to avoid.
The six-cap England international has made over 200 appearances for his boyhood club since making his first-team debut shortly before his 18th birthday in January 2019.
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A two-time Premier League champion, Jones featured 49 times for Liverpool in all competitions last season.
But the incident with Szboszlai has not reflected well on the former European U-21 champion.
Peterborough owner and Liverpool fan Darragh MacAnthony blasted Jones on talkSPORT, saying on Thursday: “He’s acting like a spoilt brat.
“I saw his behaviour last night on the pitch… I understand the frustration that he should have got the armband. He’s a Scouser; he’s been there 20 years, blah blah blah.
“But to act like that and to carry it on, because it went on for about two minutes.
“He was having a go at Szoboszlai, who handed the armband over, I think, to Tsimikas, I believe Curtis Jones had the temper tantrum over that.
“That behaviour can’t happen, not from a graduate from the academy; he’s too into himself.”