Arsenal have entered the race to sign Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, complicating Inter’s pursuit at precisely the moment the Nerazzurri are refusing to match Liverpool’s €40m valuation – a gap that has already led to one rejected offer and stalled loan negotiations between the Italian side and Merseyside.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Inter hold strong interest and that Jones has given the green light to a move to Milan, but stresses the valuation gap is the principal obstacle. The Athletic separately reported that Liverpool rejected a verbal Inter offer of approximately £21.7m – roughly €25m – as being well short of what the club consider fair value for their homegrown midfielder.

Inter’s approach has centred on a loan structure with an option to buy set around €40m, a figure Liverpool appear to regard as their floor rather than a premium. Jones is contracted at Anfield until June 2027, which gives Liverpool significant leverage and removes any urgency to discount.

Arsenal Emerge as a Credible Alternative Buyer

Mikel Arteta is understood to view Jones as a potential number 8, and according to Lewis Steele of the Daily Mail, a move to Arsenal is “one to watch” if Liverpool open the door to a Premier League sale. Liverpool are believed to consider around £35m an acceptable figure for a permanent transfer – a threshold closer to what an English club could structure without the loan-to-buy friction Inter have encountered.

Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Newcastle have also been credited with interest, though no formal bids from any English club have been lodged. The pattern here is familiar: Nottingham Forest’s €25m approach for Davide Frattesi illustrated recently how English clubs and Inter can reach an impasse when valuations diverge sharply and neither side bends.

The next critical juncture is whether Inter revise their position upward or walk away entirely. If they do the latter, Arsenal’s proximity to Liverpool’s asking price and the prospect of Jones remaining in the Premier League could prove decisive – and Liverpool may well prefer that outcome to a discounted sale abroad.