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West Ham United want Manchester United outcast Phil Jones in the next transfer window.

That’s according to a report in The Mirror which claims West Ham and Newcastle are battling out for the £12million defender.

West Ham were in the thick of an intense relegation battle when the league was halted last week due to the coronavirus outbreak.

And it appears Hammers boss David Moyes is already switching his attentions to new recruits for next season.

Hammers want Red Devils defender for next season?

Jones has become a bit-part player at Old Trafford and The Mirror reports that Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will listen to offers for the 28-year-old defender.

Moyes is said to be a big fan of Jones from his brief time working with the ex England centre back at Old Trafford.

West Ham fans have been discussing a potential move for Jones’s fellow Man United outcast Jesse Lingard.

Read: West Ham fans discuss potentially signing Manchester United outcast Jesse Lingard this summer

But it appears Moyes feels his priority is to strengthen his defence.

Link makes sense given West Ham’s defensive woes

And it makes sense given the porous nature of West Ham’s backline over the past few seasons.

Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop have established themselves as West Ham’s main defensive partnership.

But Diop had been in and out of the side, Winston Reid looks set to be sold in the next window after moving to MLS and Fabian Balbuena’s future is also in doubt.

Jones has an average match rating of just under 7/10 (Whoscored.com).

But he has barely featured this season, playing just 10 times in all competitions.

A fit and in form Jones would certainly be a sound addition to West Ham’s squad.

Injuries and league uncertainty obvious issues

The transfer would come with a big risk factor, though, given his injury problems during his time at Old Trafford.

And it was not that long ago Jones was playing for England either.

He won the last of his 27 caps in the World play-off defeat by Belgium in St Petersburg.

Of course any transfer moves will be dependent on which division West Ham are in come next season.

A decision on what will happen to the remainder of the current campaign is expected to be made on Thursday (Sky Sports).