Phil Jones set for Manchester United

The Premier League Champions have made a real statement of intent today after agreeing a deal with Blackburn Rovers for starlet Phil Jones. The young centre back underwent a medical this afternoon and is set to sign for around £16 million in the coming days.

Jones made an impressive start to his Blackburn career after making his Premier League debut at the end of the 2010 season against Chelsea. He out muscled Didier Drogba and made a real statement of intent. Towards the end of the season he came up against Arsenal and Manchester United and looked at ease against the Premier League’s top sides.

He has been a regular for Rovers this season and has even been deployed as a defensive midfielder under Sam Allardyce. Unfortunately he picked up a serious knee injury halfway through the season that kept him sidelined for four months. However, on his return he slotted back into the defence seamlessly and was outstanding in Blackburn’s relegation fight.

As stated previously on this blog I have felt for some time that Jones was simply too good not to leave Blackburn. “Phil Jones is still only 19 but is fast becoming one of the most exciting English prospects around. After missing much of the season through injury he has slotted straight back into the side effortlessly. Whether Rovers go down or not I think he will be playing for one of the top clubs next season.” I have been a Rovers fan for 17 years and the club have never produced such an exciting talent. It was inevitable that he would leave this summer and I am genuinely pleased that he has chosen United over his other suitors.

It remains to be seen how much first team football he will see at United next season. The club currently has six centre backs; Brown, Evans, Ferdinand, O’Shea, Smalling and Vidic. Jones has partnered Chris Smalling for the England U21 side and the pair have looked a really solid pair and have already developed a good understanding. It certainly appears likely that these two will be United’s defensive rock for years to come.

The deal is definitely good for both clubs and I for one am fascinated to see how he progresses in the coming years. He is certainly a first choice England centre back in the making and possibly a future England captain. Good luck to Phil Jones.