Inter Milan have secured the services of Curtis Jones following a £30m (€35m) transfer from Liverpool, bringing an end to the midfielder's 16-year association with the Reds.
The 25-year-old has been granted permission to travel to Italy to undergo his medical, with the deal having been agreed on Wednesday night. According to reports, Inter's structure involves €30m upfront plus €5m in add-ons, with a 10 per cent sell-on clause for Liverpool.
Jones joined Liverpool at the age of nine and progressed through the academy ranks before making his first-team debut in the 2018/19 season. Over his time at Anfield, the England international made 228 appearances and scored 22 goals for the club.
His trophy cabinet at Liverpool includes two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, the Club World Cup and the FA Cup. He also featured in the 2022 Champions League final, where the Reds finished as runners-up.
The move comes after Inter had made at least two approaches for Jones this summer, including one in January. Liverpool had initially rejected a €25m offer from the Italian club in June before negotiations progressed further.
Inter's sporting director Pierre Ausilio had publicly acknowledged the club's interest in Jones during the summer window.
Curtis Jones - we are paying attention to him, Ausilio stated in June.
Jones becomes the third England international to join Inter during this transfer window, following John Stones and Djed Spence in moving to Cristian Chivu's side. His departure from Liverpool comes after he entered the final year of his contract with the club.
Impact on Liverpool's midfield
The exit of Jones leaves new Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola with significant decisions to make regarding his midfield composition. Under previous head coach Arne Slot, Jones made 49 appearances, with 34 of those coming in the Premier League as Liverpool struggled in their title defence.
During that period, Jones shared midfield duties with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, while also being deployed as a makeshift right-back on occasions.
Iraola has indicated his intention to utilise Florian Wirtz in his preferred number 10 position within a 4-2-3-1 formation. This setup means Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Gravenberch will compete for two midfield spots in front of the back four.
The Basque manager also has Wataru Endo and Trey Nyoni available for selection, with the latter having impressed during pre-season preparations. Liverpool may consider reinvesting the £30m received from Jones's sale into a midfield replacement, though no immediate targets have been confirmed.
What happens next
Jones is scheduled to undergo his medical in Italy on Friday following his Thursday travel. The transfer is expected to be completed once the medical is passed and paperwork is finalised.
