Liverpool transfer news: Major update as £35m 'departure' risks leaving Andoni Iraola short before Premier League season

Inter Milan have decided to accelerate plans to sign Curtis Jones from Liverpool, the latest report has revealed.

The Reds will be licking their wounds after their a pre-season defeat to Monaco last Sunday, though Andoni Iraola will care more about building fitness at this stage of the summer.

Concerns were raised after that defeat about whether the head coach has the squad necessary to play in his image, but in order to facilitate incomings, outgoings may be required first.

Jones has been consistently linked with a move to Serie A giants Inter, though the Italian side have so far found it difficult to match the Reds' asking price of £35m.

Journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed that Inter Milan will now work to close the signing of Jones from Liverpool following news that Davide Frattesi will join Lazio on loan.

Curtis Jones transfer update: Should Iraola let midfielder join Inter Milan?

Jones has not played particularly well in pre-season under Iraola, and some have speculated that his focus has been impacted by his desire to move to Italy.

Keeping a player against their wishes is always a risk, but the 25-year-old's exit would leave the Reds with just three senior midfielders for two spots.

Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister are unlikely to be enough depth across a hectic Premier League season, especially as the new head coach prefers to use an intense style of play.

The only acceptable scenario in which Liverpool should allow Jones to leave is if they were confident about signing an adequate replacement.

Who should Liverpool sign to replace Curtis Jones?

Liverpool will not want to block the pathway of Trey Nyoni, but the youngster is only 19, and relying on him to start most weeks in the coming season would not be advisable.

The future of Mac Allister is in doubt due to the fact he has just two years left on his contract, and his possible sale over the next few transfer windows should ease fears about blocking Nyoni's route to the starting XI.

Liverpool have technical quality in their squad, though sometimes they can struggle to progress the ball quickly enough from deeper areas, and that issue could be solved by signing someone such as Adam Wharton.

However, the Crystal Palace star is not particularly strong defensively or safe with the ball, and that could make signing either Bournemouth's Alex Scott or Monaco's Lamine Camara more sensible options.