Phil Jones has signed a new four-year deal that will keep him at Manchester United till 2023, with an option to extend it by a further year.
Manchester United have tied up another player to a long-term deal. Phil Jones becomes the latest to sign the dotted line, penning a new four-year deal that sees him prolong his stay at Old Trafford till 2023, with an option to extend it by a further year, the club has announced on all social media platforms.
Phil Jones has had a mixed time at Manchester United so far. Labelled as the future captain of Manchester United and England when brought in by Sir Alex Ferguson from Blackburn, a few bright performances raised the hopes even more. But, injuries have always stopped him from fulfilling his ‘proposed destiny’.
The 26-year-old has had a stop-start career but has put in positive performances whenever fit. The defender was reportedly close to signing the dotted line, following in the footsteps of Anthony Martial, after an improvement in status under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
We are pleased to announce @PhilJones4 has signed a new contract with #MUFC.
Congratulations, Phil!
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 8, 2019
Manchester United have now confirmed the new contract, with Phil Jones expressing delight at the new deal while talking to the official website.
Jones said, “I am delighted to have signed a new contract. Manchester United has been a big part of my life for eight years and I love everything about this club. I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead of us as we prepare for a very busy period in the season. I would like to thank Ole and the coaching staff for their continued support in my development.”
Solskjaer also expressed his delight at having Jones to commit to the club long-term. One thing that the interim manager pointed out was that the 26-year-old was committing what is generally the start of the prime years for a central defender, considering his age.
Over a period of eight-and-a-half years of association with Manchester United, Jones has added every trophy to his cabinet except the Champions League title. His debut season at Manchester United – the 2010-11 campaign – still remains his best in terms of contribution to the team’s cause and minutes on the pitch.
It will be interesting to see how well Jones can do in the coming years at Manchester United, especially with the club likely to prioritise the addition of a central defender in the summer transfer window. With Victor Lindelof already locking his place, there is only one spot left, with Jones, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and the potential incoming defender set to fight for it.
Chances are though, that a fit Phil Jones can more than match up to the rest of the competition.
