Curtis Jones isn't perfect but selling him this summer would be a mistake for Liverpool

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For the former Everton striker, it didn't matter that it was pre-season - another goal against Liverpool was another goal against Liverpool, even if it was now in the white of Leeds United.It's hard not to wonder if Jones' mind was elsewhere, old rivalries further from his thoughts. On Friday, news broke that Internazionale would be returning with another offer for Jones, having seeing two previous bids rejected by Liverpool for their homegrown midfielder.The Milan side have low-balled the Reds, hoping that Jones' looming 2027 contract expiry would tempt Liverpool into a cut-price sale with the player having shut down attempts to renew.Their latest offer, believed to be in the region of £30m, still falls around £5m short of Liverpool's valuation and how the bid will be responded to remains unclear.Andoni Iraola has stressed the importance of having a local player in the first team and praised Jones' character when asked about his future - but Liverpool's hierarchy would surely be loathe to let another player walk out of the door for nothing in a year's time.Inter have pursued Jones since January, and see him as the ideal player to bring technicality and control to their midfield.

Jones had spoken optimistically about these qualities making him an important player under Arne Slot, but the Scouser remained a bit-part player during the Dutchman's two years in charge - and now faces an uncertain future under a new manager with a completely different style of play.Jones' desire for a bigger role at his boyhood club has never been a secret, but Liverpool also harboured those hopes for him. Steven Gerrard spoke glowingly of his star player when nurturing his development as U-18s manager in 2017/18, and told The Anfield Wrap in 2024 that Jones was "more talented than me" in terms of his technical ability.The uncomfortable truth Jones must face, though, is that at 25 he has so far not reached the full extent of his potential.

But it can also be argued that a player of his undeniable ability to manipulate a football should have been capable of forcing his way into a Premier League starting XI more than the 18 times Jones managed last season, when Liverpool's midfield was so dysfunctional.It seems likely that factors behind the scenes had a hand in Jones' lack of starts last season, and perhaps the interest from Inter had already swayed him before the campaign drew to a close.In normal circumstances, a club like Liverpool should have little reason to keep a player who doesn't see his future at the club. Bournemouth's Alex Scott, a promising 22-year-old talent but currently an inferior player, is being courted by Chelsea for upwards of £70m - double the reported asking price for Jones.Sourcing homegrown talent at a price which suits Liverpool during a summer in which reinforcements are required across the pitch appears fanciful, and Jones is a player who can realistically do a job in at least six positions.Though a departure now looks like the most likely outcome for a player who is far from perfect, the potential cost of losing Jones this summer would be far greater than the relatively paltry fee that his sale would bring in.Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 away kitThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it.