Manchester United have slapped a £15 million price tag on Phil Jones as interest mounts in the forgotten defender with Burnley in the chase.
According to the Daily Star, Manchester United have placed a price tag of £15 million on Phil Jones, who has barely played in the last two years for the club. Burnley and Newcastle are interested in the forgotten defender, although they might be reluctant to match the demands.
Phil Jones has cut a frustrated figure at Manchester United as he has not been participating in active play for nearly two years due to never-ending fitness problems. He featured for the first time this term in the recent defeat to Wolves, where he gave a good account of himself. However, since then, the defender has again been overlooked, with manager Ralf Rangnick opting to choose his regulars in the position.
In the early parts of the season, Jones faced criticism from former defender Rio Ferdinand. The latter claimed the player wasted the club’s resources by drawing up a regular salary and not playing. Former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was quick to defend him as long-term injury issues had been keeping him out of contention.
However, after Jones proved that he can still play at the highest level, clubs have started to show an interest in signing the defender this month. Burnley and even Newcastle have seen links to Jones in recent months, and he could well be on the move in this window if a reasonable offer arrives.
Burnley find themselves in a dire situation at the bottom of the Premier League table. While Sean Dyche is keen on signing a few players in different positions, a centre-back is considered a key area to be strengthened by the club. Jones is understood to be an option being considered for the role, but Manchester United’s asking price could be a problem.
Jones has 18 months left on his deal, which sees him earn £100,000-per-week, and now Manchester United have placed a £15 million asking price on the defender. Considering that Jones has barely played in the last two years, the demands come out as unreasonable.
Burnley are unwilling to either pay that fee or match his current salary. They certainly believe in his quality but are not willing to commit to a major investment on a player riddled with injuries and lack of game time in the recent past. There are other options, such as Mason Holgate being mentioned, but signing the Everton defender could be a costly affair for the Clarets.
As for Jones, he has been of interest to many clubs since his recent comeback and he might not have a shortage of offers in the current window or the next one. Benfica are showing an interest in the defender, although he might look to continue his career in the Premier League if offered the chance to do so.
As for Burnley, they might have to look away from Jones if they cannot persuade Manchester United to lower their demands significantly. They have some cash inflow since the sale of Chris Wood to Newcastle, which they will look to use smartly to strengthen their squad and avoid the fate of relegation.
