Jones To Remain At United As Mourinho Decides Against Selling The Defender
Reuters / Peter Cziborra
Manchester United are set to keep hold of Phil Jones this summer, and have decided against selling him, according to ESPN sources.
Jones has been at Old Trafford since he was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson as a raw 19-year-old back in 2011. Having been tipped to become possibly the “greatest player in the club’s history” by the big Scotsman himself, much was expected of Jones.
However, his career at the Theatre of Dreams so far has been marred by constant injury struggles, and while he has shown flashes of what he is capable of, he has never really established himself in the first team.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho was set to see Jones finally end his nightmare and leave the club, but the Portuguese insisted that he would be giving an equal chance to every player to prove himself.
Related News:
https:/2017/06/14/premier-league-transfer-news-chris-smalling-chased-four-clubs/
Jones grabbed the opportunity with both hands and was a rock at the back, forming a formidable pair with Marcos Rojo, and despite suffering more injuries in between and being criticized by his manager for not taking more of a risk by speeding up his recovery, the Englishman still impressed whenever he played last season.
The arrival of Victor Lindelof from Benfica in a £30.75 million deal has now put the futures of Jones and fellow United star Chris Smalling under huge doubt. Several clubs have shown an interest in signing the pair, but it is Jones who is set to remain at the club.
Still only 25, Jones will also be keen on resurrecting his International career with England, as the World Cup looms around the corner, and while he may get more chances to prove himself to Gareth Southgate if he were to move to another club, the centre-back has admitted that he is keen on staying at Old Trafford and fighting for his place.
Jones’s place in the team could be vital as United begin their Champions League campaign next season. Mourinho struggled towards the latter end of last season due to defenders constantly picking up injuries to a point where at some stage, Eric Bailly was the only fit and available defender, and he was forced to play every single game during that period.
Not wanting to make the same mistake twice, the 55-year-old boss will have realized the importance of having a good back up, and he sees Jones as just the right man to fill that role.
Manchester United fan, Wayne Rooney is his role model. Passionate writer who has written for several sites in the past. He’s also an aspiring pianist and creates background music for BlameFootball’s Youtube channel.