Why West Brom should take a punt on Phil Jones in January
According to the Daily Star, Man United outcast Phil Jones has emerged as a loan target for West Brom heading into the January transfer window.
The 28-year-old is currently way down the pecking order at Old Trafford, having been excluded from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 25-man Premier League squad. Jones has featured sporadically for the Red Devils over the past 12 months and United are even prepared to cover a considerable portion of his £120,000-a-week wages to facilitate a departure next month.
Premier League rivals Burnley are also understood to be in the race to sign the centre-back, although the Clarets would only swoop if they end up selling James Tarkowski.
West Brom are prepared to push for a loan deal for the England international during the mid-season trading period. New Baggies boss Sam Allardyce has pinpointed the centre-back department as an area that requires some immediate investment.
Meanwhile, West Brom slumped further into relegation trouble after suffering a 3-0 home defeat against Midlands rivals Aston Villa on Sunday. That was their 9th league defeat of the campaign in 14 games so far, with Allardyce failing to kick off his managerial stint at the Hawthorns with a win.
The Baggies currently sit second-bottom in the PL standings, having accumulated just 7 points. A tally of just 10 goals scored and 29 conceded clearly epitomises the need for significant improvement in the coming months if West Brom are to preserve their status as a top-flight club. Allardyce, therefore, seems to have his work cut out in helping a struggling side get their campaign back on track.
West Brom need some impact signings in January to get things up and running. The Baggies have rotated the likes of Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley, Dara O’Shea and veteran Branislav Ivanovic at the heart of the defence to little success. A potential loan deal for Phil Jones could, therefore, be a step in the right direction as the Baggies look to stem the inflow of goals.
Injuries have ravaged Jones’ career at Old Trafford over the past 12 months but he remains an experienced campaigner in the Premier League. When fit, the 28-year-old’s pedigree as a centre-back has hardly ever been called into question.
His fall from grace at United has been really disappointing but the fact that Jones has made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils, whilst also representing England at two World Cups, certainly can’t be overlooked.
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Verdict
Considering that Jones hasn’t played a lot of football in recent seasons, a January move to the Hawthorns looks like a risky proposition for relegation-threatened West Brom. However, it could be a risk worth taking if Allardyce manages to extract the best out of the centre-back. The 28-year-old still has plenty to offer and would be a useful signing for the Baggies at the back provided he keeps himself injury-free for the second half of the campaign.