Andoni Iraola says Liverpool can sign a new player right away after Curtis Jones leaves.
Andoni Iraola has reportedly given the go-ahead to find a quick replacement for Curtis Jones after Liverpool agreed to sell him to Inter Milan.
Jones, a homegrown player who made headlines during a fiery pre-season argument with Dominik Szoboszlai, has been strongly linked with a move to the Serie A club.
Sky Sports reports that Inter Milan have agreed to pay £30 million for Jones, with the deal coming together on Wednesday evening. According to Ben Jacobs, there’s also a 10% sell-on clause included.
Jones is now set to head to Milan for a medical and will be Inter’s third English signing this summer, following John Stones and Djed Spence.
At 25, Jones is the fifth big-name player to leave Liverpool this summer, and Iraola is eager to bring in a top-notch midfielder to strengthen the squad.
So far, only Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz, and Ronald Araujo have been signed. But The Mirror says Iraola has given his thumbs-up for Liverpool to go after Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
The Reds seem a bit light in midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, and Ryan Gravenberch needing support from young talent Trey Nyoni. Wharton is seen as the perfect replacement because of his skillful play from deep positions.
Wharton is in high demand, and reports say Palace have set a hefty £78 million price tag on him. Palace have a reputation for tough negotiations when it comes to their top players, like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze.
They’ve also earned over £100 million this summer selling England players Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers and are using that as a benchmark for valuing Wharton. The 22-year-old still has three years left on his contract, putting Palace in a strong position for talks.
Liverpool’s new Premier League season starts with an away game at Newcastle on Sunday, but the club is expected to be very busy before the transfer window shuts at the end of August.
A move for Ibrahim Mbaye is unlikely to happen, but Liverpool are reportedly still interested in his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Bradley Barcola.
Many Liverpool fans are concerned about the lack of new signings after losing several key players, and Reds legend Phil Thompson agrees more players are needed.
On the Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Thompson said, “We definitely need more in defence. If Jacquet isn’t quite ready, who will step in? We still need to bring players in. Probably four or five in total across different positions.”
Curtis Jones’s transfer ends a 16-year journey with Liverpool, where he joined at just nine years old. He made 228 first-team appearances and won two Premier League titles.