Liverpool transfer news LIVE: 10% Curtis Jones clause, Malo Gusto demands, latest updates today

Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live Liverpool transfer news blog on Thursday, August 20!

Andoni Iraola's men are finalising their preparations for their Premier League opener against Newcastle United this weekend, for which there will be a Curtis Jones-sized hole in the squad.

Stay entirely up to date with the latest Liverpool done deals and rumours with our social-led live blog below!

Today's Liverpool transfer headlines

Inter Milan agree Curtis Jones deal as sell-on clause revealed

Exclusive: Malo Gusto needs two things for £75m move

Liverpool transfer news today: What's happening on August 20?

A significant recalibration of Liverpool's transfer ambitions emerged on Wednesday, with the Reds now reported to be unlikely to pursue both Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye before the window closes, raising the likelihood that one of the two Paris Saint-Germain forwards will be their primary wide signing.

The Barcola-or-Mbaye development came alongside confirmation that the Jones situation has moved decisively, with the midfielder understood to be on the verge of completing a £30m move to Inter Milan, just short of Liverpool's preferred £35m valuation.

A clause in Jones's contract affects the mechanics of any deal, creating a nuance in the structure of how the sale is formalised, though Inter are said to be close to agreement.

Jones's likely departure - he has made 228 appearances and scored 22 goals for his boyhood club - prompted scrutiny of Andoni Iraola's midfield options, with the manager said to be relying on Trey Nyoni to fill the space rather than seeking a direct replacement.

A separate question surrounds Malo Gusto of Chelsea, as Emile Heskey exclusively told Sports Mole that Liverpool must assess the right-back on two qualities to justify the £75m Chelsea are asking, a pursuit that would help address the full-back picture for the season ahead.

Meanwhile, Stefan Bajcetic and Cody Gakpo continue to be linked with departures ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline, although there is now a consensus that the latter will stay despite firm interest from Tottenham Hotspur, as Iraola feels that he can get the best out of him.