West Ham United and Newcastle United have been linked with Phil Jones.
It’s perhaps a transfer rumour that not many West Ham United or Newcastle fans would want to hear as recent reports have linked them with Phil Jones.
The Mirror has claimed that both West Ham and Newcastle are interested in signing the centre-back, who has previously worked under David Moyes at Old Trafford.
It is also said that Steve Bruce is a big fan of the defender and Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for the 28-year-old, who is being priced at £12 million.
Jones moved to Manchester during the early years of his career and he was someone who was being highly tipped to become one of the best, but Phil Neville’s comments on the player from 2018 perhaps sum up how he has never been able to fulfil his potential.
Ironically enough, in a game involving Newcastle, Neville blasted Jones’ performance, and that of his then-centre-back partner Chris Smalling, as a ‘disaster’, as quoted by The Mirror.
For a number of years, Jones has seemingly been seen as a laughing stock because of the manner in which he defends, as former England international and Manchester United player, Neville shared this summary of the player and Smalling a number of years ago.
“But the last two away games [against Tottenham and Newcastle], Smalling and Jones have been a disaster,” said Neville. “They were making decisions that were strange. They were making decisions all day where you were thinking, ‘what are you doing?’ They brought these two as the best young centre backs in England.”
If either West Ham or Newcastle were to sign Jones then it would result in a number of fans being unhappy.
He hasn’t had the best of times at Old Trafford and signing a player whose career has gone way off track isn’t a way to get into the fans’ good books.
But, on the other side of the fence, could a move away from Manchester perhaps turn his career around? He is at an age where it is perhaps last chance saloon for him to prove himself, but both Newcastle and West Ham fans may think it’s too much of a risk to take in that regard.
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