Curtis Jones’ Liverpool career appears to be coming to an end.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Inter Milan have reached a verbal agreement with Liverpool for the midfielder, with the deal worth €35m (£30m) including add-ons.
An agreement has also reportedly been reached with Jones himself, with his medical now being planned.
If everything goes smoothly, the academy graduate could soon be leaving Anfield for Serie A.
From Liverpool academy to Anfield exit
This is a strange one for Liverpool supporters.
Jones has been at the club since he was a youngster and has gone from academy football to becoming a Premier League and Champions League winner.
He has made more than 100 Premier League appearances for Liverpool and has experienced some incredible moments in a red shirt.
But his future has been increasingly uncertain throughout this summer.
Inter have considered him their priority midfield target for months, and previous reports indicated that Jones was open to the move.
Now it appears the two clubs have finally found an agreement.
Is €35m good business?
That’s going to be one of the biggest debates among Liverpool supporters.
€35m is a significant amount of money for a player who is entering the final year of his Liverpool contract.
The Reds had previously been looking for around €40m, but their asking price was subsequently lowered to around €35m to help get the deal moving.
From a purely financial perspective, Liverpool are avoiding the risk of losing Jones for nothing next summer.
But there is another side to this.
Curtis Jones is only 25.
And Liverpool are potentially selling a player just as he enters his prime.
The biggest question: who replaces him?
This is what concerns me most.
If Jones leaves, Liverpool lose a midfielder who has been part of the first-team squad for years.
Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai remain, while Liverpool have younger options coming through.
But if Liverpool are serious about competing for every trophy, they need depth.
And that’s particularly important if they are going to play Iraola’s intense style of football.
Could this fund another signing?
There is another intriguing angle.
Liverpool are still pursuing attacking reinforcements, with Bradley Barcola remaining a major target and Ibrahim Mbaye also heavily linked with a move to Anfield.
Selling Jones for around £30m gives Liverpool another significant chunk of money to put towards those deals.
That could ultimately be part of the thinking behind the move.
Liverpool may believe they can replace Jones’ minutes while using the transfer income to strengthen an area they consider a bigger priority.
A disappointing way for Jones to leave?
Personally, I think there will be mixed emotions.
Jones is a local lad who came through Liverpool’s academy.
There is always something special about seeing one of your own make it at Anfield.
But perhaps the most important thing is that Jones gets the opportunity to play regularly.
If he isn’t going to be a consistent starter under Iraola, moving to Inter could make sense for his career.
And Inter are hardly a bad destination.
He’ll be playing Champions League football and competing for major trophies.
A new chapter begins
It feels like the end of an era.
From that memorable goal against Everton to lifting Premier League and Champions League trophies, Jones has given Liverpool supporters plenty of memories.
Now, after years of uncertainty over his place in the team, he appears to be heading for the exit.
€35m.
Inter Milan.
Medical next.
Curtis Jones looks set to leave Liverpool.
It’s a deal that will undoubtedly divide supporters — but now the question becomes who does Liverpool bring in to replace him?
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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