Liverpool will not be pushing to sign a direct replacement for Curtis Jones, who is set to join Inter Milan.
Curtis Jones has arrived in Italy to complete his £30 million move to Inter Milan after the Serie A giants agreed terms with Liverpool. New head coach Andoni Iraola has opted against signing a direct replacement, confident in the club’s existing midfield depth, according to a report by TEAMtalk.
The 25-year-old has chosen to leave his boyhood club after finding it increasingly difficult to secure a regular starting role. Even though Liverpool have been preparing to discuss a new contract with Jones, whose current deal expires next summer.
The midfielder recognised that Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai remained ahead of him in the pecking order. Stefan Bajcetic, Wataru Endo, Harvey Elliott, and Florian Wirtz can also provide additional cover in midfield.
Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu has offered Jones the opportunity to play a more prominent role, ultimately convincing the Liverpool academy graduate to begin a new chapter in Italy.
Jones leaves Anfield having made 228 appearances for Liverpool since becoming part of the first-team setup in 2020, contributing towards 47 goals. He featured 49 times last season but remained a rotational option, playing fewer than 3,000 minutes across competitions.
Liverpool won’t push for a new midfielder
The Reds had been linked with Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as a possible replacement. Sources indicate they are unlikely to pursue the England international, with Palace understood to value Wharton at around £80m, making a deal particularly difficult.
Instead, Liverpool intend to give greater opportunities to 19-year-old Trey Nyoni, who is viewed as a player capable of developing into an important first-team option. Iraola believes the existing midfield options are sufficient.
The midfield depth has freed the Reds to pursue attacking reinforcements, with at least one and potentially two new wingers expected to remain on the agenda. The decision marks a tactical shift: rather than bolstering midfield depth via the transfer window, Iraola has prioritised attacking reinforcements.
For Jones, the move to Inter Milan offers the chance to escape a rotational role and become a more influential figure under Chivu.