Liverpool want deal for £100m England midfielder after Curtis Jones sale

Liverpool have finalised a deal to send Curtis Jones to Inter Milan.

The Anfield club will bank around £30m for the 25-year-old - who only had one year left on his contract. Jones’ departure opens up a gap in Andoni Iraola’s midfield.

There are suggestions that James McConnell will now be retained rather than sent on loan while Trey Nyoni will surely come into contention for more minutes.

Another option will be to recruit a new midfielder - even though transfer funds will no doubt be required for a new winger before the window closes.

Liverpool intensify efforts to sign Adam Wharton

Liverpool have now once again been linked with a move for Adam Wharton - Crystal Palace’s 22-year-old England international midfielder.

With Jones out of the equation Iraola will need extra support for his current array of first-choice midfielders Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

The deep-lying Wharton would fit the bill perfectly and Liverpool have long been regarded as serious suitors for the former Blackburn Rovers academy star.

Wharton deal could reach £100m

Richard Hughes is now ready to step up his chase for the elegant left-footer according to a report in Caught Offside - and the deal could reach an overall cost of £100m for the 2024/25 Premier League champions.

“Liverpool are ready to accelerate their pursuit of Wharton as a possible replacement for Jones,” the report claims.

“Iraola has approved the idea of bringing the 22-year-old to Anfield, where his ability to control games from deeper positions could potentially give Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai greater freedom further forward.

“Palace are believed to value Wharton at around £78m, although some sources have suggested their demands could rise towards £100m because of his importance to the team and long-term potential.”

Palace won't give up Wharton easily

Palace will resist any attempts to lure Wharton away from Selhurst Park this summer however with new head coach Pierre Sage speaking out on his future ahead of the opening day of the Premier League season.

"He is capable of playing at any big club, whether that is here or anywhere in Europe, but I believe one more year with us and our new dynamic will be good for him," the new manager said.

"We need him, that's why I think he will stay with us."