Liverpool double sale: Jones heads to Inter, Ndukwe to Levante 2026

Key Points

• Curtis Jones will leave Liverpool after agreeing to move to Inter Milan for an initial transfer fee of €30m (£30m/€35m deal) with bonuses amounting to €5m and a 10% sell-on fee.
• Jones, who is 25 years old, has been allowed to travel to Italy for medical checks ahead of signing a five-year deal until 2031 at €3.5m gross per year.
• This marks the end of Jones’ 16-year career at Liverpool after making 228 appearances with 22 goals.
• The agreement is made by Inter following their failed attempt of a €25m offer in June and sees them securing their third Premier League player at Inter this summer following Djed Spence and John Stones.
• Young defender Ifeanyi Ndukwe will be on loan to La Liga side Levante with no option to buy due to his ineligibility for a UK work permit.
• The loan is thought to have a break clause in January should Ndukwe gather enough eligibility.
• This development comes as Liverpool cope with absence of defenders in the form of Joe Gomez already out and Giovanni Leoni not returning soon.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) August 20, 2026 — Liverpool are set to sanction two sales in the coming days, with deals agreed for academy graduates Curtis Jones and Ifeanyi Ndukwe to leave the club. The double departure marks a significant reshaping of the Reds’ squad as the new season approaches, balancing immediate transfer income with longer-term development plans for a promising defender unable to secure a work permit.

What is the Curtis Jones transfer to Inter Milan?

Curtis Jones is set to join Inter Milan after the Italian side agreed a deal worth €35m (£30m) with Liverpool, with €30m up front and €5m in performance-based add-ons. As reported by The Athletic’s James Pearce, the Nerazzurri will pay €30m initially, with a further €5m available in incentives, and Jones has been given permission to travel for a medical. Sky Sports’ Gianluca Di Marzio said documents have been exchanged and signed, with the total package valued at €30m plus €5m in “difficult” bonuses and Liverpool securing a 10% sell-on clause.

Jones will become the third player to move to the San Siro from the Premier League this summer, following Tottenham’s Djed Spence and Manchester City’s John Stones, who signed as a free agent. Inter’s interest had been rumbling throughout the window, with a €25m bid rejected in June before renewed talks led to the current agreement.

How many appearances did Curtis Jones make for Liverpool?

Jones will depart the club having made 228 appearances and scored 22 goals in his near two-decade spell, having joined at the age of nine. He played a prominent role through to the end of his stint, appearing in all but four of Liverpool’s Premier League fixtures last season and making 18 starts. His exit ends a 16-year association with the Reds and closes a chapter on an academy product who broke into the first team and remained a regular contributor.

What are Curtis Jones’s contract terms at Inter Milan?

According to Di Marzio, Jones has agreed terms on a five-year contract through to 2031, worth €3.5m net per season. The deal was agreed late on Wednesday night, with the player authorised to fly to Milan to complete medical tests. Fabrizio Romano described the agreement as “here we go”, confirming a verbal agreement at a €35m package fee and that personal terms were settled with the player.

Why is Ifeanyi Ndukwe joining Levante on loan?

Ifeanyi Ndukwe is due to join Levante on a one-season loan with no buy option, as reported by Fabrizio Romano and corroborated by multiple journalists including Paul Joyce, Paul Gorst and David Lynch. The move is driven by eligibility rules: Ndukwe, a native Austrian, is ineligible for a work permit and thus cannot play professionally in the United Kingdom this season. Sky Sports Austria reported a deal was close for him to join the LaLiga side, with Levante leading the race after his impressive pre-season.

Radio Marca in Valencia said Levante are “very close to finalising” the loan, while journalist Santi Sanchis added that a straight loan deal has been verbally agreed, with the Spanish club covering his salary. It is hoped he will accrue enough experience to be eligible for first-team action after his spell at Levante, with reports suggesting the deal is expected to contain a January break clause allowing a potential return to uk/local/anfield/">Anfield.

What does Ndukwe’s exit mean for Liverpool’s defence?

It will be a frustrating exit for Ndukwe, who might have played a not insignificant role in the first team this season amid defensive fitness worries. Joe Gomez is already ruled out for the opening weeks of the season, and it remains unclear when Giovanni Leoni will be ready for top-flight action. There has been some relief in the centre of defence, though, with Jeremy Jacquet scoring on his debut for the club last week and Ronald Araujo arriving on loan from Barcelona. Ndukwe was caught on camera at the club’s training ground arriving to undergo his medical ahead of the move.

Background to the Jones and Ndukwe developments

The Jones transfer follows months of speculation and a formal bid rejection in June, with Inter reigniting interest through intermediaries and ultimately meeting Liverpool’s valuation. Reports indicate Jones was entering the final year of his Liverpool contract and had signalled he would not sign a new deal, adding urgency to a sale. For Ndukwe, the work permit issue is central: he did not reach the points target required to qualify for a UK work permit under 2026/27 rules, prompting the club to seek a loan where he can play regularly and build eligibility. Multiple trusted Liverpool correspondents have aligned on the structure of the loan, including the absence of a buy option and the likelihood of a mid-season break clause.

Prediction: How could these exits affect Liverpool supporters and the squad?

For Liverpool supporters, the Jones sale is likely to be felt most acutely as the departure of a homegrown midfielder who featured heavily last season, potentially reducing squad depth in central areas early in the campaign. However, the €30m upfront fee plus add-ons and a 10% sell-on clause provides financial flexibility that could be reinvested, while the arrival of Ronald Araujo on loan and the emergence of Jeremy Jacquet offer immediate defensive cover. For the squad, Ndukwe’s loan is a pragmatic response to eligibility rules; if he plays consistently in Spain and triggers a January return, Liverpool could regain a promising centre-back mid-season, easing pressure during a congested fixture list. Overall, the short-term effect may be a thinner midfield and reliance on new defensive partnerships, but the longer-term trajectory depends on how quickly replacements integrate and whether Ndukwe’s development abroad accelerates his readiness for Premier League football.