Three bids in one summer tells you everything you need to know about how much Inter want Curtis Jones. The question is whether they will eventually match what Liverpool are asking — and right now, the gap between the two clubs remains stubbornly wide.

Reports emerged this week that Inter have returned with a third approach for the Liverpool midfielder, this time making contact through intermediaries. It follows a summer of increasingly frustrating negotiations for the Italian side. Their opening offer of £21 million was swatted away without much ceremony. A second bid, reported at £27 million, fared no better. Liverpool's valuation sits at £35 million, and they are not shifting from it.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Jones himself is genuinely weighing up his options. He has entered the final 12 months of the contract he signed in 2022, which means that from New Year's Day he would be free to open pre-contract discussions with clubs outside of England. That reality has not been lost on anyone at the club. Liverpool have placed their valuation on him somewhat reluctantly, accepting the awkward truth that a player can only be sold against his wishes if the numbers make it make sense.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, however, the position is clear. Jones stays unless Inter — or anyone else — hits the £34 million-plus asking price. Simple as that.

What will interest Liverpool supporters is the strength of feeling coming from Andoni Iraola. The head coach spoke on Monday and left no room for ambiguity about how he views Jones as part of his plans.

"I will have the chance to speak with him today," Iraola said. "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."

Those words carry real weight. A manager publicly declaring how highly he rates a player does two things simultaneously. It tells the player he is wanted and valued, which matters enormously when someone is deciding whether to commit their future to a club. And it also signals to any interested parties that extraction will not come cheap or easy.

The Scouse angle Iraola raised is worth pausing on. Jones coming through the academy, representing his city, playing at Anfield — that is not nothing. Supporters understand what that means, and clearly so does the manager. It is the kind of thing that is almost impossible to manufacture and genuinely difficult to walk away from if the football works out.

Over in Milan, Inter president and chief executive Giuseppe Marotta was addressing the media on Monday as well, though without specifically naming Jones. His wider comments about Inter's position in the transfer market were revealing. He acknowledged that the financial landscape in European football had become increasingly difficult for Italian clubs, but stopped short of suggesting Inter were done with their summer activity.

"The transfer market is extremely difficult," Marotta said. "The figures involved are incredible and have relegated Italy to a supporting role. Our owners have given us the green light to make further investments. I hope we can find a solution quickly."

He also struck a measured tone about the broader approach Inter are taking, stressing that panic was not part of the plan. "We can't act out of panic. Any decision has to be the result of careful work," he said, before adding: "There's still a month and a half to go until the transfer window closes, so there's no need to rush. We'll give the coach everything he needs to work in the best possible conditions. We have the resources to invest, but every move has to make sense."

Read between those lines and you get a club that is still in the market, still circling, but acutely aware of the financial discipline they need to maintain. Whether that means they can bridge the gap to Liverpool's valuation remains to be seen.

For Liverpool, the ideal outcome is straightforward. Jones signs a new contract, commits his future to the club, and Iraola gets the player he has been so open about wanting. The less ideal outcome is a fee that at least reflects fair value for one of their own. What nobody at the club wants is to lose a homegrown talent on the cheap or, worse, wave him off for nothing in January.

With a month and a half of the window remaining, this one is far from settled.