It feels like this one has been rumbling away in the background all year, and now it is starting to get loud. Inter Milan have made fresh contact with Liverpool regarding a move for Curtis Jones, this time putting a figure of around £30m on the table. That is still short of what Liverpool want. But it is getting closer, and both clubs know it.

To understand where we are, it helps to go back a bit. Inter first came sniffing around Jones in January, when they were told in no uncertain terms that Liverpool were not in the business of selling players mid-season. That was the end of that conversation. Then, earlier last month, a bid in the region of £21m arrived and was dismissed almost immediately. Liverpool were not interested in haggling at that price, and the feeling inside the club was that Inter were not serious enough to be worth engaging with. The gap was simply too wide.

Something has shifted since then. Intermediaries acting on Inter's behalf have now come back to Liverpool with word that the Italian side are willing to move significantly on their valuation. The £30m figure being discussed represents a near £9m jump from that first rejected bid, and while it still falls £5m short of Liverpool's £35m asking price, it suggests the Nerazzurri have genuine intent this time around.

The question now is whether sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Andoni Iraola would actually sanction a sale. That is far from straightforward. Jones has a year remaining on his contract, which is always a complicating factor. Sell now and Liverpool get their valuation, or something close to it. Hold on, risk him running down his deal, and the leverage disappears. It is the kind of situation that sharpens minds in the transfer market.

What makes this particularly interesting is the position Iraola has taken publicly. When asked about Jones earlier this month, the head coach was about as enthusiastic as you can be without physically blocking the airport. His words were unambiguous: "I rate Curtis very highly. For me he is a great, great player and I hope he can continue with us and continue performing the way he has been performing. It's very important that he's scouse, that he's from here. I also like the personality. From the outside at least he looks like a player with good character and I hope we can keep him, not only for this year but for more time."

That is not the language of a manager who is indifferent about losing a player. Iraola clearly wants Jones to stay and extend his contract at Anfield. The local connection matters to him too, and it is hard not to appreciate that. Jones is a Scouser through and through, a product of the academy, and he has made 228 appearances for the club since his debut back in January 2019. That is not a bit-part player. That is someone who has been woven into the fabric of this squad for the best part of six years.

But here is the honest bit. Jones has been seeking more regular first-team football as a guaranteed starter, and that is a legitimate ambition for a player of his quality and age. If Liverpool cannot guarantee him that, and Inter are offering him a major stage in Serie A, then the conversation becomes harder to shut down no matter how warmly the manager speaks about him. Players need to play. That is just the truth of it.

The valuation gap is now £5m. In the context of modern football, that is not an insurmountable distance. Whether Liverpool are prepared to come down slightly, whether Inter are prepared to go up one more time, or whether the whole thing stalls again is the central question now hanging over this deal. Hughes will have a clear view on what Jones is worth to this squad going forward, particularly with one year left on the contract. Selling for less than the asking price sets a precedent, but holding out risks getting nothing at all.

For Jones himself, this must be a strange summer. Publicly praised by his manager, wanted by one of European football's most storied clubs, and waiting to find out where he will be playing his football come August. The lad from the city centre deserves clarity one way or another.

With the gap narrowing and both sides still talking, do not be surprised if this one moves quickly.