West Ham United and Everton are on red alert as Manchester United prepare to sanction the sale of Phil Jones this summer.
According to an exclusive report from 90 Min, Manchester United are prepared to offload Phil Jones this summer. The defensive outcast currently has two years left on his contract at Old Trafford, but the Premier League side are ready to terminate that deal in an attempt to help him find a new club this summer.
It has put several clubs on red alert, with Everton and West Ham joined by Newcastle United, whose coach Steve Bruce is a huge admirer of the Englishman. Jones is also courted by other lower-tier English clubs like Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.
Deemed as surplus to the requirements by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jones hasn’t featured in a single Premier League match since the start of 2020 due to injury and fitness issues. It appears he is set to make way for Raphael Varane, who is on the verge of joining Manchester United, a move that will significantly change the dynamics of the club’s defensive unit.
However, the Englishman’s decline at Old Trafford hasn’t deterred clubs like Everton, who are hoping to add more reinforcements at the back this summer. New coach Rafael Benitez is desperate to add more competition for the current crop of centre-backs, with Jones becoming an ideal option due to his vast experience at the highest level of football.
The United outcast is not Everton’s only option, though, with the Toffees reportedly eyeing a swoop for Juventus’ out of favour defender Merih Demiral. It gives West Ham an ideal opportunity to make a better case for being Jones’ preferred destination, as the Londoners can offer more game-time.
The player has also worked with David Moyes during their time together at Manchester United. At West Ham, he has a strong chance of becoming the Scot’s favoured option alongside Issa Diop next season, as the Hammers could use with some fresh faces considering that Angelo Ogbonna, Winston Reid and Craig Dawson are all over thirty and Fabian Balbuena has left the club.
Other potential options for Jones include Palace, although the Eagles are likely ruled out, having roped in Marc Guehi from Chelsea while rumoured Tottenham Hotspur target Joachim Andersen is tipped to join as well.
Brighton & Hove Albion could be an interesting choice as the Seagulls are expected to lose out on Ben White, whereas the United defender might tactically fit in better at Southampton, under the leadership of Ralph Hasenhuttl. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Phil Jones as he looks to resurrect his career by leaving Old Trafford this summer.
