According to The Sun, Tottenham are still ‘keeping tabs’ on Manchester United defender Phil Jones, which is likely to result in the Red Devils triggering a 12-month option on his contract to ensure the England centre-back can’t leave for free next summer.
The Tottenham link may be because the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld have uncertain futures at the club. Jones is also an English ball-playing defender who is comfortable in possession – a trait that Mauricio Pochettino admires in his players. But are Tottenham even interested in him? They were linked in 2011, but a lot has changed since then.
It’s hard to see Spurs making an approach for a defender with an injury history likes Jones has. The 26-year-old has made just two appearances this season due to his fitness problems – something that has been a recurring theme in recent years.
Since his 2011 arrival at Old Trafford, in the Premier League, Jones has missed 132 games from a possible 278 (47% absence). Tottenham may need a central defender they can rely on over the course of a season, but Jones hasn’t been that man.
He’s valued at around £12m by CIES, but it still doesn’t present good business. Is Jones really a replacement for one of the stellar pairing of Vertonghen & Alderweireld? It’s very hard to see this deal ever being sanctioned, even if he was a target seven years ago…