Liverpool ready to let star leave for free, it's just crazy

Liverpool are reportedly prepared to let one star walk for free. It's just crazy at this point.

Liverpool are currently figuring out what to do with their squad. This isn't the group they'll finish the transfer window with, we imagine, and both incomings and outgoings are possible.

Now, we know the World Cup pauses the domino effect seen every transfer window but Liverpool have been particularly slow this year. They haven't replaced Ibrahima Konate (and we're not sure they will), haven't decided what to do at right-back with Conor Bradley out long-term and, above all, haven't found a winger to replace Mohamed Salah.

Instead, they're working hard on a deal for Bradley Barcola, who plays on the opposite side. Genuinely, we have no idea what will happen there.

But there's another situation that remains entirely unclear. Is Curtis Jones sticking around beyond this summer? Inter are incredibly interested and willing to put up cash for a player whose contract expires in a year's time.

The Athletic reports that Inter are now willing to put up €35m for Jones - just €5m less than Liverpool's asking price of €40m. Will that be enough to get the deal done, then?

Well, apparently not. The report also states that Liverpool will stick to their valuation rigidly. So rigidly, in fact, that they'd let Jones walk on a free transfer next summer, rather than accept less.

Now, that seems crazy. Jones is already massively undervalued at this point and so digging in at a €5m difference doesn't make all that much sense.

Whether you sell at €40m or lose him for free, you're giving up an enormous amount of value.

Because if Jones is a player who will give €40m of value next season, he should be handling a contract offer from Liverpool right now that places him as a key player. Instead, the report states that there are no talks right now - he's set to leave.

It's a ridiculous situation for a homegrown player who has never hidden a desire to remain at the club. Liverpool, though, have found themselves in a situation where they're fighting just to avoid losing him in a terrible manner rather than a genuinely shocking one.