Varun Pai
Transfer News: West Ham end interest in Manchester United ace Phil Jones
According to transfer news from journalist Jonathan Shrager (h/t Express), West Ham United have ended their pursuit of signing Manchester United centre-back Phil Jones this summer.
David Moyes was interested in reuniting with his former player at the London Stadium this summer after the player piqued his interest during his ill-fated reign as the United manager.
However, the Hammers were planning on offering Jones a highly incentivized contract while they were also planning on offering the defender a low base salary but with tempting add-ons based on appearances. As per the latest update, though, a move is off the table, with West Ham focusing on alternatives.
Jones, who has been out with injury for nearly 18 months, last played for the Red Devils in a 6-0 FA Cup victory against Tranmere Rovers in January 2020. Since then, the English international has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, and with the arrival of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid, Jones could really suffer for game-time this season.
Moreover, Jones is unable to attract a transfer fee, as per Manchester Evening News (h/t Daily Mail). The 29-year-old signed a new four-year contract midway through the 2018/19 season, courtesy of which he still has two more years on his contract.
Although Jones travelled with the United as a part of their pre-season training camp in Scotland a couple of weeks ago, it will be a huge task to get the 29-year-old off the books this summer.
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Given that United have signed the likes of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane this summer, they would like to trim their wage bill slightly, and offloading Jones, who is currently pocketing £4million a year, could be a smart way of doing so.
While West Ham have ended their interest in the player, it remains to be seen whether United manage to offload the player this summer.
