When Phil Jones arrived from Blackburn all the way back in the summer of 2011, it was seen as a major coup on the part of Manchester United.
The deal was believed to be worth up to £17m, and there were suggestions that despite offers from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal for his services, he chose to wear the red of United.
Red Devils icon Rio Ferdinand even tweeted his delight at seeing “another top talent” join the club, and that the “future is bright”.
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But fast forward almost a decade later, and the man signed by Sir Alex Ferguson has endured a nightmare of a time at Old Trafford. He has been involved in a series of howlers and mishaps, whilst he is arguably now best known for his comical faces when trying to make a last-ditch tackle. Not the kind of legacy anyone would like to be remembered by.
To put it bluntly, Jones has simply not been good enough to be a United player, with Graeme Souness taking him to town earlier this season after the centre-back was hauled off at half-time following a horror showing against Sheffield United.
The Sky Sports pundit said: “Jones has done everything wrong for the goal. Protect the ball. Try and get your team a goal kick or at worse put it out for a throw in. He just gets it all wrong. Jones isn’t a cute player – he hasn’t got a great touch, so he should just put it into row Z at worst.”
With United moving forward with the likes of Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe, amongst others, as their main centre-back options, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will surely be licking his lips at the latest rumours involving Jones.
According to The Daily Mirror, Newcastle manager Steve Bruce is ready to hand the defender a Premier League lifeline by lining up a summer move for him. At 28, and with a woeful injury record to boot too, Solskjaer may never get a better chance to offload one of Sir Alex’s worst mistakes.
The Norwegian has to call time on Jones’ career, and finally end one of United’s biggest mistakes of their iconic manager’s time in charge.
Meanwhile, Man Utd must swoop for this Barcelona star.
