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Curtis Jones has officially closed the curtain on a 16-year association with his boyhood club. The Toxteth-born midfielder completed a permanent move to Serie A champions Inter Milan, leaving Anfield after making 228 senior appearances and scoring 22 goals. The deal brings to an end months of transfer speculation surrounding the 25-year-old, who entered the final stage of his contract on Merseyside. The financial breakdown of the deal Inter lined up their midfield target after months of persistent interest. The Italian giants had an initial €25m bid knocked back in June, but returned to the negotiating table with an improved package. Inter agreed to pay a guaranteed £25.6m (€30m) up front, with performance-related add-ons taking the total value of the package up to £30m (€35m). Liverpool also secured a 10 percent sell-on clause for any future transfer. Jones signed a five-year contract in Milan worth roughly £105,000 per week before tax. Liverpool initially valued their academy graduate closer to €40m, but club decision-makers chose to sanction the sale rather than risk losing him for free next summer. Inter’s recent £30m acquisition of Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur set the benchmark figure for the transaction. Un vero Scouser diventa nerazzurro ???? ? https://t.co/X6LZsRudYV pic.twitter.com/8a5tI02wBY— Inter ?? (@Inter) August 21, 2026 A trophy-laden legacy at Anfield Jones joined the Liverpool Academy at U9 level and steadily worked his way through the ranks. He handed himself a senior debut just weeks before his 18th birthday in January 2019. He etched his name into Merseyside derby folklore a year later, curling a sensational winner into the top corner against Everton at Anfield in the FA Cup. Shortly after, at 19 years and 5 days old, he made history as Liverpool’s youngest-ever captain when he led out a youthful side against Shrewsbury Town. The England international leaves Anfield with a trophy cabinet that rivals many modern Liverpool greats. He collected two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup, and a FIFA Club World Cup during his time on Merseyside. Jones maintained a key role during Arne Slot’s title-winning campaign in 2024-25, featuring 46 times across all competitions. He then added a further 49 appearances during the 2025-26 season, which ultimately proved his final campaign in red. New head coach Andoni Iraola made no secret of his desire to keep the midfielder when he took the reins at Anfield earlier this summer. Speaking during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Iraola drew parallels between Liverpool and his former club Athletic Club. “It’s very important that he’s Scouse, that he’s from here,” Iraola said. “I also like the personality. From the outside, at least, he looks like a player with good character, and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time. I see a lot of things [similar to Liverpool]. This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection, also, with players from the academy.” Despite Iraola’s clear public support, Jones held concerns over his starting role in a congested midfield. The appeal of a fresh challenge in Serie A under Cristian Chivu ultimately turned the player’s head. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon ahead of Liverpool’s season opener against Newcastle United, Iraola confirmed the midfielder’s departure and admitted he had hoped to retain Jones’ services. “Yes [I wanted to keep him], Curtis is a good player, but I understood this,” Iraola stated. “He is coming for some years in the same situation, so I knew from that moment it could happen. With Curtis, you know… I think it’s still not official but there is an ongoing situation. I talked to him in the first or second training session. I value him a lot as a player. He loved this club—it was very clear since the beginning for me—but I understood that probably the outcome was going to be what it has been at the end.” raola also touched upon the practical challenges the transfer window brings on the eve of the campaign: “As a manager, this is an easy one for me I wanted the players for the first day, July 13th. But you understand how the competition works, that the market is open. I hate these two weeks or these 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty, but we have to adapt. I am focused on the game against Newcastle and using the very good players that we have right now in the building in the best way so we can be competitive from the beginning.” Life after Jones: How Liverpool’s midfield looks now Jones’ departure leaves Iraola with four senior central midfielders as the new campaign approaches: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo. Rather than rushing straight into the transfer market, Liverpool expect teenage talent Trey Nyoni to step up and take on greater first-team responsibility. Consequently, club officials placed a proposed loan move for James McConnell on hold while they evaluate their options. Across in Italy, Cristian Chivu continues to build a formidable squad following Inter’s league and cup double last season. Jones joins fellow English recruits John Stones and Djed Spence in Milan, where he will fight for a starting spot against Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolò Barella, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and Piotr Zielinski.