Curtis Jones official: Inter lodge the contract

The trail was first reported by Sky Sport, which as far back as late May described Inter pressing for Curtis Jones and weighed up the distance still to bridge with Liverpool. For weeks the 2001-born player stayed inside a two-way race: La Gazzetta dello Sport lined up two midfield targets and asked which between Arthur Atta and Jones himself was the better fit for Cristian Chivu's midfield.

The turning point had come on 13 June, with Gazzetta - relayed by Calciomercato.com - describing an Inter playing with their cards on the table and a Jones increasingly distant from the Reds. In mid-June the same paper spoke of a fresh bid in preparation: Inter's last offer stood at EUR 20m, while Liverpool were asking 30.

The announcement came in mid-August: Calciomercato.com ran "Curtis Jones - Inter, here we go", reporting a verbal agreement with Liverpool. On the figures it was Eurosport that clarified: agreement reached, with around EUR 35m going to the Reds between a fixed fee and add-ons. Gianluca Di Marzio also confirmed the agreement between the two clubs.

After arriving in Milan for his medical and signing, the final step has now come: Quotidiano Sportivo reported that Inter had lodged the contract with the League, while Il Messaggero described Jones as 'official' in Nerazzurro colours.

That closes a saga that ran all summer: from Sky's early soundings to the backstory told by Gazzetta - the 'likes', the pressing and the figures of the English signing - through to the white smoke. Inter land the midfielder chosen by Chivu, Liverpool bank around EUR 35m.

Jones, deeply attached to Liverpool, where he had played since the age of nine, now opens a new chapter in Serie A. For Chivu, a long-time admirer, he is the identified reinforcement in midfield; only the formal registration details remain to be settled.