Liverpool's Curtis Jones left out, Inter eye Stankovic sale

Liverpool omitted Curtis Jones from their squad for a friendly match against AS Monaco, fueling speculation regarding Inter's interest in the player. The Nerazzurri have targeted Jones for several months and had attempted to acquire him with a January bid that was rejected. Although Liverpool's asking price remains at €40m, they have been reluctant to negotiate further, despite Jones's desire to move to San Siro.

The club's decision to leave Jones out of the squad could be indicative of ongoing negotiations, as transfer expert Fabrizio Romano noted it was a necessary precaution due to interest from numerous clubs in the midfielder.

To finance a potential transfer for Jones, Inter may look to sell Aleksandar Stankovic. Stankovic, who returned to Inter after a year spent with Club Brugge, had a buy-back clause of €23m activated. His performance during the pre-season has drawn attention, making him a valuable asset for Inter's plans. Reports recently surfaced that Inter rejected a €40m proposal from Brentford for Stankovic, but should that figure rise, they may consider selling him to facilitate the deal for Jones.

With Inter's hopes of lowering the asking price for Jones dashed, selling Stankovic could be the most feasible way to provide the necessary funds to finalize the transfer.