According to a recent report by Manchester Evening News, Premier League giants Manchester United are said to be considering freshening up their back-line, with multiple players currently out-of-favour at Old Trafford. The report suggests that one of the names in question is English international defender Phil Jones, who has struggled to make a place for himself in the side under the guidance of former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
It has been suggested that Chris Smalling, who spent the campaign out on loan at Roma, and Marcos Rojo, are both still within the Manchester United books. While Chris Smalling is claimed to be keen on a move back to Italy in the upcoming summer transfer window, Marcos Rojo is said to have spent most of his loan spell in Argentine out injured. While this is the case, the most worrying name remains that of Phil Jones, who has had an abysmal year at Old Trafford this time around.
How Did Phil Jones’ Career At Manchester United Progress?
The Englishman arrived at Old Trafford from Blackburn Rovers back in the summer of 2011 as a promising 19-year-old. Having been signed and brought straight into the first-team, Jones showed various glimpses of his quality throughout the season. Despite quickly showing himself in a good light upon arrival, things starting going south for him a season later. The Englishman played in a whole 29 league fixtures in his first full season at the club.
Over time, the trend surrounding the number of appearances he made per season tends to get quite confusing. The former Blackburn man’s injury-prone nature was a consistent issue as well. Although his involvement did seem to increase over the last few years gradually, the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has completely changed the picture.
Does Phil Jones Have A Future At Manchester United?
The Englishman is 28-years-old now, and the arrival of Harry Maguire from Leicester City has pretty much killed any chance that Jones had of making it back into the first-team. Behind the likes of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof and even Nemanja Matic in the pecking order, the likelihood of Jones becoming a regular starter at United again is looking extremely bleak. Moreover, if Rojo and Smalling were to return at the end of the season, they would also go directly above Jones in the pecking order.
The biggest worry for United fans will be Jones’ apparent tendency to make at least one individual error every couple of fixtures. While that doesn’t necessarily sound too bad on paper, in a tournament as competitive as the Premier League, it makes a huge difference. Depending on Jones to be a starting XI defender at a club like United is seriously pushing the limits, and Jose Mourinho, unfortunately, learnt that the hard way. Ole will do well to offload any players that are surplus to requirements this summer, and Phil Jones is undoubtedly right at the top of that list.
