One of the underrated developing stories of the early summer transfer window might very well be Inter Milan's pursuit of Reds midfielder Curtis Jones.
The Italian side are eager to add the England international to their ranks, while Liverpool would be willing to sell, at the right price. It's that last little bit that has seemingly put talks at a standstill with a resolution not exactly imminent as of this writing.
While Liverpool are putting all their chips into the Yan Diomande basket at the moment, it will be interesting to see if they use this move as a funding opportunity for any deal struck for the Ivory Coast winger.
As of now, the Reds are becoming irritable with the offers they are seeing from Inter Milan on this.
Liverpool are 'irriated'
According to The Times' Paul Joyce, the Italian giant's most recent offer for Jones was around £21.7 million. An offer that has apparently ruffled some feathers at Anfield.
Per Joyce; "Liverpool have grown increasingly irritated by Inter's long-running pursuit of Curtis Jones and have shut down talks unless they significantly improve their offer, currently showing no indication of going above £21.7m."
The Reds have a valuation of £35 million for Jones, so the two sides are a ways apart on talks at the moment. For now, it looks like this saga has hit a significant snag in proceedings and is on hold.
You can understand Liverpool's frustration when you look around the transfer market and see the huge numbers being thrown around for all kinds of players. Jones, being only 25 and a proven asset, should command a respectable fee if he is to move abroad.
While he is entering the final year of his contract with no extension talks on the horizon, Liverpool are once again painting themselves into a difficult corner heading into the new campaign under Andoni Iraola.
If Jones performs well under the Spaniard, perhaps extension talks could resume. Or, that could mean more clubs become interested in signing him on a free next summer. The latter would be a disaster.
Curtis Jones has real value for any club
As mentioned, Jones should just now be entering the prime of his career, and he will be eager to secure more regular and important minutes, whether that is at Anfield or somewhere else.
His ability to play multiple positions only adds to his value and it is yet another reason for Liverpool to not be so eager to part with him this summer. He's got good technical skills and he is confident on the ball, so he can adapt to a variety of playing styles and systems.
As one of the few remaining long-term players for Liverpool, he also offers a unique perspective for new arrivals and the incoming coaching staff.
Jones understands the culture of the city, club, its fans and the weight of expectation that comes with playing here. That isn't something you just give away for cheap because Inter Milan asked you to.
There's a reason they are interested in signing him, but the Reds are right to refuse such clear low-ball offers with the position of 'meet our valuation or stop calling'.
Curtis Jones is a gifted player who can be a valuable piece to any trophy hunting club, so Inter Milan will have to step up their offers significantly if they want to pry him away form Liverpool.
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