Liverpool reject third bid from Inter Milan for Curtis Jones

Inter Milan have suffered a third consecutive transfer rejection in their relentless pursuit of Curtis Jones.

The Serie A champions have been determined to secure the 25-year-old midfielder this summer, but their latest offer was promptly dismissed by Liverpool

The Italian giants had initially tested the waters with an opening offer of around €25m, which was immediately knocked back. Their subsequent attempts to restructure the transfer with various performance-based add-ons have also failed to sway sporting director Richard Hughes, who values him upwards of €40m.

While Jones is entering the final year of his current contract, the club is under zero pressure to sell a valuable homegrown asset.

New head coach Andoni Iraola has already made his stance clear regarding the future of the academy graduate.

“I rate Curtis very highly,” he said. “For me, he is a great, great player, and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing.

“It’s very important that he’s Scouse, that he’s from here. I also like the personality.”

Speaking during his initial training sessions at the AXA Training Centre, the manager emphasised that he wants to evaluate the entire playing squad before sanctioning any major first-team departures.

Jones is viewed as a highly-versatile midfield option who could adapt well to the high-intensity, pressing style of football that the Basque coach is planning to implement this season.

Whether the Italian side chooses to return with a fourth bid remains to be seen, but the distance between the evaluation of the two clubs remains substantial.

For now, Jones remains fully focused on his pre-season preparations as he looks to catch the eye of the new coaching staff ahead of their upcoming friendly matches.