Man United defender Phil Jones ‘targeted by THIRTEEN clubs including Newcastle, Watford and Derby’
Phil Jones ‘targeted by THIRTEEN clubs including Newcastle, Watford and Derby’ as Man United weigh up whether to send defender out on loan in January after almost two years of injury hell
- Phil Jones has finally returned to full fitness after suffering serious knee injury
- Man United are considering sending the defender out on loan in January window
- 13 clubs are reportedly interested in taking the former England centre-back
- Watford, Newcastle and Wayne Rooney’s Derby are believed to be among them
- Jones hasn’t played first team football for Man United since January last year
Phil Jones ‘is attracting interest from 13 different clubs’ ahead of a potential January exit from Manchester United – despite not playing first-team football for nearly two years.
The defender, 29, has endured a nightmare time with a serious knee injury and hasn’t played for United since a FA Cup tie at Tranmere Rovers in January last year.
But Premier League clubs Watford and Newcastle United, plus Wayne Rooney’s Derby County, are reportedly among 13 clubs who have asked about taking Jones on loan.
Phil Jones is reportedly attracting interest from a number of clubs as Manchester United consider whether to send the injury-cursed defender out on loan in January
The defender hasn’t played for United since a FA Cup tie at Tranmere Rovers in January 2020
The Sun report, however, that United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will delay a decision on whether to allow Jones to leave until after Christmas.
Solskjaer doesn’t want to risk leaving United light on defensive options amid a hectic schedule if injuries strike.
Jones was an unused substitute for the Carabao Cup tie against West Ham in September but has only played under-23 football for United so far this season.
He has been training regularly since the summer, however, and United would consider a loan move to restore Jones to full match fitness.
The centre-back’s £130,000-a-week United contract runs until the summer of 2023.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will decide whether to send Jones out on loan in January
Jones has played in Under-23 fixtures for United this season as he regains his match fitness
Jones wasn’t playing regularly prior to his knee injury, which ultimately required surgery last summer, but scored in the 6-0 win at Tranmere that is his last United outing.
‘I’ve been through hell and back over the last couple of years,’ Jones said in September.
‘I think as a footballer, as a person, as a human being, that’s the lowest I probably ever felt in my life.’
Rio Ferdinand, a former team-mate, said Jones was ‘taking up a youth team player’s position in the squad’ and ‘should’ve gone ages ago’ – comments for which he later apologised after criticism.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
