West Ham United manager David Moyes is considering a move for Manchester United defender Phil Jones, according to the Independent.
The 28-year-old has fallen totally out of favour at Old Trafford, having featured in just two Premier League games this season. He has made a total of eight appearances across all competitions. Jones grew through the ranks of Blackburn rovers’ youth system and joined Old Trafford as a 19-year-old. He was tipped to become a great defender.
However, things haven’t gone that way, and the player has completed nine years at the club. Injuries have halted his progress over time. Over the last couple of years, Jones has hardly been considered, especially given his poor performances and a lack of form.
The emergence of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof has seen the £75k-a-week Englishman fall down the pecking order, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer using him as the fourth-choice central defender. This does look like an end that is nearing for the defender at Old Trafford and he has to look for a new club to ply his trade with.
West Ham have been quite inconsistent this season and are fighting to stay alive in the Premier League. They lack firepower in all their departments. Therefore, it is a good choice for them to go for Phil Jones, as he has been frozen at Manchester United.
West Ham do need more depth in their backline and should take the chance to sign Jones, who still has a lot of top-flight football left in him. His international career has also been lacking clarity and if Jones intends to be a part of the England squad, then he needs regular match time to stake his claim.
As for West Ham, their priority must be to stop leaking goals, for which they will need to strengthen their backline. This transfer will be a win-win situation for both the club and the player. The club needs someone with experience to be a part of their backline while the player needs regular match time.
Phil Jones has experience of the Premier League and if he catches his form, then he can be really solid and hard to beat. In the past, he has shown how excellent he is with ball distribution.
Thus, West Ham would be right in signing the out-of-favour Manchester United defender, as Phil Jones adds depth and quality to the side.
