According to a report from the Mirror, West Ham are interested in signing Manchester United centre-back Phil Jones in the summer.
The Red Devils will allegedly demand somewhere in the region of £12 million for the 28-year-old.
And that could turn out to be an excellent bargain for the Hammers, if they do indeed manage to sign the centre-back.
Jones joined Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2011 for around £16.5 million. And he has gone on to make 224 appearances in all competitions for the 20-time league champions.
27-capped England international would be useful addition for West Ham
The Hammers need to address their central defensive deficiencies in the summer. Angelo Ogbonna is nearing 32-years-old, Winston Reid faces an uncertain future and Issa Diop has been linked with a summer move to Arsenal (Mirror).
And Jones could be the ideal addition for West Ham.
Stats
In 200 Premier League games, the 28-year-old has racked up 394 tackles, with an incredibly impressive success rate of 73% (premierleague.com).
He has also recorded 404 interceptions, 1,073 clearances and 872 ball recoveries. Jones has won 63% of his individual duals and 63% of his aerial battles (premierleague.com).
Those stats really are rather impressive. And at 28, it could be argued that the Englishman is still yet to reach his prime.
Jones has been a target for criticism from some sections of United fans over the past couple of seasons.
But you don’t stay at a club like Manchester United for nine years if you’re not a good player.
And if West Ham manage to pick him up for just £12 million in the summer, it would have to be considered as excellent business for the east London outfit.
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