Newcastle United have set their sights on Manchester United defender Phil Jones over a move in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, Phil Jones is the subject of interest from Newcastle United over a move in the summer transfer window. Manchester United will make the English centre-back available post the end of the season and will demand £12 million in exchange for his services.
Phil Jones joined Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2011. Tipped for greatness by Sir Alex Ferguson, who was the man to bring him to Old Trafford, the Englishman has done little to fulfill the immense promise he showed nearly a decade ago.
While injuries have hampered the player’s progress considerably, he has also been let down by inconsistency, meaning he has never really managed to nail down a spot as a first-choice centre-back for an entire season. Now, having dropped down to essentially last in the pecking order among current central defenders, Jones’s future at Manchester United is up in the air.
Harry Maguire, who has been elevated to the role of being the Manchester United captain and is one of the two first-choice defenders along with Victor Lindelof. Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe also seem to be preferred to Jones, meaning game time is going to be hard to come by for the 28-year-old in the coming future.
Now, though, Newcastle United are prepared to provide Jones an escape route out of Manchester United in the summer transfer window. The interest from the Magpies, though, is a tad bit interesting, with Steve Bruce already having as many as five centre-backs at his disposal.
Unless one of the central defenders leave in the summer, a move for Jones will only create an overload of options for Bruce. Nevertheless, it looks like Newcastle are intent on a summer move, with West Ham United also keen to provide competition to them.
Manchester United, on their part, are open to listening to offers for Jones, who is also ready for a new challenge in the summer. The Red Devils want £12 million to part ways with the English centre-back, who still has over three years left on his deal at Old Trafford.
What now remains to be seen is if Manchester United indeed move Jones on at the end of the season, with the player going nowhere at Old Trafford at present. For now, it looks like Newcastle United are eager to secure the services of the 28-year-old in the summer transfer window.
