Khalaili, born in 2004 and valued at around €20m including bonuses, has been a known Inter Milan target for some time. With Dumfries' departure now effectively confirmed, the club has decided to move quickly on a player they see as his natural successor.
Union SG are set to benefit from a 20 per cent sell-on clause negotiated with Maccabi Haifa, where Khalaili made 51 appearances and scored 14 goals before his move to Belgium, where he has since made 99 appearances and scored eight goals. Napoli are also pursuing Khalaili and have been working on the deal for several weeks, meaning Inter will face competition from their Serie A rivals.
The Jones situation has become more difficult. Inter have been monitoring the Liverpool midfielder for some time, submitting bids that fell short of Liverpool's asking price, and the arrival of Arsenal as a competing club has added further uncertainty to a pursuit that was already at risk of stalling. According to the Corriere dello Sport, Inter have begun considering alternatives in midfield, with Roma's Niccolò Pisilli emerging as a name of interest.
Roma have declared Pisilli untransferable, but the prevailing view is that the right offer could change that position in the current summer window. No formal talks have taken place, with Inter's interest currently limited to a positive assessment of the player rather than a concrete approach.
For Inter, the summer is proving more demanding than anticipated. The loss of Marco Palestra to Chelsea and the complications around Trevoh Chalobah — with Como also in the picture — have meant their defensive plans have had to shift. Khalaili now represents the clearest path to a right-back solution, and the club is determined to move ahead of Napoli before that window closes.
The Jones situation reflects a broader challenge facing Inter in midfield: Liverpool's pricing is firm, competing clubs are circling, and the club's financial model demands they find value without overpaying.