Everton are preparing a move for Manchester United defender Phil Jones next summer. According to recent reports, the Toffees are lining up a move for the Red Devils centre-back but only if their manager Sam Allardyce remains at Goodison Park beyond this season. The 26-year-old was handed his professional debut by Allardyce during their time at Blackburn Rovers nine years ago.
The Blues of Merseyside are planning to overhaul their squad once again in the summer in order to mount a realistic challenge to break into the top 6 in the Premier League next season. Some sources are claiming that Big Sam has made it his number one priority to reinforce his defensive options at the club after the Toffees shipped in 49 goals in 30 league matches this season.
The 63-year-old wants to be reunited with his former player at the Merseyside club and with Jones’ contract with United set to run out at the end of next season, it seems likely that the Red Devils might want to cash in on him this summer and not lose him for free next year. However, United still have the option to extend his contract for a further year so they have to make a decision on his future sooner rather than later.
The Merseyside outfit are currently sitting in 9th place in the Premier League standings with a tally of 37 points in 30 matches. They are a massive six points behind Burnley who are sitting in 7th place with an away match versus Stoke City looming on the horizon.
The addition of Jones will undoubtedly bolster Sam Allardyce’s defensive options ahead of the new campaign as the Toffees look to bridge the gap between themselves and their local rivals Liverpool. At 26, he still has his peak years ahead of him which Everton could look to utilise in the coming years.
Jones is also highly versatile and can operate in a number of different positions across the backline. He primarily plays as a centre-back but can also be deployed at right-back or as a defensive midfielder which makes him an ideal asset for any of his potential suitors. The English defender has featured in 21 matches for United in the Premier League and has formed a formidable partnership with Chris Smalling at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence during the course of this campaign. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Jones and whether he ends up making a switch to Goodison Park in the near future.
