Phil Jones: UPDATES ONLY (no comments)

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Kelvin

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Jones joining United - Report

Blackburn's Phil Jones looks to be bound for Manchester United, with bookmakers having already suspended betting on his transfer destination.

Initial reports on Wednesday suggested the centre-back was set to undergo a medical at Liverpool's Melwood training ground.

However, Skysports.com sources later claimed that United had stolen a march on their rivals in a transfer race that could be concluded soon.

It is understood United have offered Jones a five-year contract.

The 19-year-old was supposed to travel to Denmark on Wednesday with the England Under-21s for this summer's European U21 Championship.

Sky Bet have now stopped taking money on homegrown Jones after revealing that they saw a lot of money placed on the teenager on Wednesday morning.

Before news of United's offer broke, football trader Sandro Di Michele said: "A flurry of early morning bets on Phil Jones saw us go from 3/1 into evens and then into 1/3.

"With the weight of money and rumours coming from Merseyside that Jones is having a medical with the club today, we took the decision to suspend betting."

Jones joining United - Report - Blackburn Rovers News, Transfer Talk & Gossip | TEAMtalk
 
@WayneRooney: Phil jones is a good young English player. 1 of the toughest defenders I played against last season. Can play midfield to.
 
Blackburn's Phil Jones set for Manchester United move


By Dan Roan
BBC Sport news correspondent
Jones has played 40 games for Blackburn
Blackburn defender Phil Jones is set to join Manchester United in a deal worth up to £17m, BBC Sport understands.

The England under-21 centre-half is having a medical with the Premier League champions, after turning down offers from Arsenal and Liverpool.

Jones only made his Premier League debut in March last year but has made a big impact in his first full season.

The 19-year-old was due to travel to Denmark with the under-21s on Wednesday for the European Championship.

Jones will not find it easy to disrupt United's first-choice centre-back pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, while Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans are also among the players competing for places at the heart of Sir Alex Ferguson's defence.
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BBC Sport - Blackburn's Phil Jones set for Manchester United move
 
Blackburn defender Phil Jones undergoing a medical at Manchester United , according to Sky Sports.com.

The in-demand centre-half is also a target for Arsenal and Liverpool but it would appear United have stolen a march on their Premier League rivals in a transfer race that could be concluded soon.

Liverpool were thought to be the early front-runners for the England Under 21 international but Sir Alex Ferguson, is set to land a player many believe will be a mainstay for the senior national side for years to come.

It is understood United have offered the player a five-year contract, despite widespread reports he was to undergo a medical at Liverpool's training ground.

The 19-year-old was supposed to travel to Denmark on Wednesday with the England Under 21s for this summer's European Championship
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Football365
 
Former Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is convinced Manchester United are signing a star of the future in Phil Jones.

The Barclays Premier League champions are poised to complete a deal for the highly-rated 19-year-old after apparently beating off competition from rivals Liverpool and Arsenal.

Blackburn are thought to have accepted an offer of around £16million and Jones is understood to have undergone a medical at United on Wednesday.

There has been no official confirmation from either club but it would now be a major surprise if the move was not ratified in the near future.

Allardyce, who is now at West Ham but handed Jones his Premier League debut in March last year, told BBC Sport: "His mental strength and the abilities to cope with the pressure of the Premier League at such a young age stood out.

"He wasn't fazed, didn't look too nervous and was quite calm.

"That is very important going into the biggest league in the world at such a young age.

"I think he made his (Premier League) debut against Chelsea and was man of the match.

"His mental strength was always going to be good enough and that is one of the biggest factors if you are going to be a top, top player.

"I think eventually, with a little more experience, which is going to gain more quickly at Manchester United, he will ultimately become an England defender."

Former Rovers forward Kevin Gallacher even believes United are getting a bargain, despite paying a high premium for a teenager with relatively little experience.

The Scot said: "I think he's underpriced to be honest.

"He is already top quality and will only get better with the players that will be around him at Manchester United."

Jones has now linked up with the England Under-21 squad in Denmark ahead of the European Championship.

He was joined there by Sunderland's Jordan Henderson, with whom he shares an agent and whose own high-profile move to Liverpool is thought to be imminent.

Jones is likely to be the first of a number of new faces at Old Trafford this summer as manager Sir Alex Ferguson freshens up his squad.

Aston Villa forward Ashley Young is thought to be a target and it was claimed on Thursday the player's representatives have met with United officials.

Udinese winger Alexis Sanchez and Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea are also on Ferguson's wanted list, in addition to Tottenham's Luka Modric and Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder.

Another defender, Raphael Varane of Lens, has also been linked.

Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes will not be part of the team next year having announced their retirements while striker Dimitar Berbatov's future is uncertain.
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As above.
 
Independent.co.uk

United confident of finalising Jones transfer
By Steve Tongue
Sunday, 12 June 2011

Manchester United insisted last night that the £16 million transfer of Blackburn's Phil Jones will go through despite suggestions that Rovers are trying to extract a larger fee.

United believe that a clause in his contract meant he was for sale at that figure, not merely available for discussions, and that he was delighted to join them despite interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

"There are no serious problems and it should go through early this week," a club official said. Initial negotiations were concluded in something of a rush because the player had been encouraged by England's Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce to sort the matter out before joining the squad in Denmark for the European U21 Championship.

That was done in similar circumstances by Jordan Henderson, who flew out with Jones on Wednesday night after completing his even more expensive move from Sunderland to Liverpool. Yesterday Pearce denied any suggestion that Jones, at 19 one of the youngest players in the squad, would be distracted by his transfer not having been officially completed.

"His mind is right, 100 per cent, because he's such a sturdy fella," Pearce said. "Him and Jordan Henderson spoke with me early in the week and wanted to get any bits and pieces finalised. I quite understood that and because I know the individuals and how strong they are mentally, it was no problem.

"I've had a chat with 'Jonah' and everything will be sorted out with respect to his future. The one thing that will help his future is playing well here for the Under-21s and he knows that."
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United confident of finalising Jones transfer - Transfers, Football - The Independent
 
Phil Jones will finally become a Manchester United player next week with lawyers from the two warring clubs working out the details of the player's transfer valuation, according to ESPNsoccernet sources.

ESPNsoccernet has been informed that once Manchester United reach the magic mark of £20 million that Blackburn Rovers want then Jones will become a United player.

The 'compromise' being thrashed out at the moment between the two sets of lawyers revolves around United winning trophies and Jones' appearances, which could make the transfer worth in excess of £20 million depending on United's capacity to continue to win silverware on a regular basis, and the player's ability to hold down a place in the team.

A figure of £20 million, though, will be reasonably attainable, and that will be the generally-accepted figure of Jones' value.

An insider suggested that it was pointless for Liverpool to bid £22 million, as widely reported, as the player has signed a contract for Manchester United made up his mind to go to Old Trafford.

Blackburn were incensed that they have to sell at the price being quoted when the player was valued at £25 million, while United are annoyed that they should pay anything more, as that £16 million was the price stipulated in the get-out clause.

"The two sets of lawyers are sorting it out, and there is sure to be a compromise by the middle of next week," said the well-connected Ewood Park source.

War over as Jones deal nears completion - ESPN Soccernet
 
Phil Jones transfer to Man Utd confirmed by his agent

RFR's Manchester United Blog – Phil Jones transfer to Man Utd confirmed by his agent

Paul Smith, the chief football reporter for the Sunday Mirror, has intimated that the agent of Phil Jones has confirmed his client’s transfer to Manchester United. In a text received by Smith, the defender’s agent disclosed the following information:

“I expect the deal to be formally announced in the next 48 hours. The buy-out clause put in by BRFC cannot be challenged

He added the player was given permission by BRFC to speak to four clubs who met the buy-out clause and he opted for MUFC. It would make no difference to the player if LFC offered more money at this stage. He has joined United in the best interest of his career.


However, an article by Sporting Intelligence claims that Manchester United have indeed increased their offer to £20.5m even though the buy-out clause was correctly reported at £16.5m. Why would United agree to pay £4m more than they were obliged to? According to the article it was done to make the transfer happen as soon as possible and to avoid going down an acrimonious path.

“A crucial fact that muddied the waters is United appeared to know precise details about the terms of the release before Rovers had given any club permission to speak to the player. The only way United could have known this is if Rovers had told them – and sources insist they didn’t – or if somebody else told them when they shouldn’t have done so under the letter of the transfer laws.

This fact, as well as Liverpool’s offer of £22m, gave Rovers some traction in negotiations. Well-placed senior sources in India have made it clear that a tapping-up complaint against Manchester United was an option open to them.

If Manchester United felt they were on solid ground with their £16.5m deal and no more, that’s what they’d be paying. But they’re not paying that. That’s why the deal has been agreed at £20.5m. They are paying more to make the deal happen now.”

As always, one has to take these assertion by people “in the know” with a pinch of salt. If Jones becomes as good as several people have said he can, he might well be worth the extra £4m. Do I believe United paid £4m more than they had to?


Why not? It seems unlikely, but if they are certain of his ability as well as potential it only makes sense to conclude the business as soon as possible and avoid any clubs from hijacking the deal. On the other hand, the player had already agreed terms with the club. Even if Blackburn had lodged a complaint, the deal would have to go through by the letter of the law.


This deal has cast Blackburn’s hierarchy in a bad light and will only make Blackburn’s future targets very wary of signing with a club that conducts itself in such a manner and does not adhere to the terms & conditions it had agreed to. On Man Utd’s part, it looks like the club has a definitive plan and are dead certain about the players who must be acquired in order to continue winning trophies and that is very pleasing.
 
Jones price is right as United win cash battle to sign Blackburn defender

Manchester United to sign Phil Jones | Mail Online

Phil Jones will finally move to Manchester United after the Barclays Premier League champions refused to budge on their £16.5million offer for the Blackburn defender.

Following a meeting with manager Steve Kean in India, Rovers owners Venky’s admitted defeat in their attempts to force United to pay more.

There were suggestions the deal could be in jeopardy or that United might at least agree to pay various add-ons that could push the eventual figure past £20m.

But they are sticking to the £16.5m release clause in the 19-year-old’s contract, safe in the knowledge that Blackburn are powerless to stop him leaving.

Venky’s had attempted to block the deal, claiming they would not be bullied into accepting United’s bid for a player they value at £25m when there were other offers from Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

However, they were forced to accept that the clause — inserted into Jones’s contract in February — had been ratified by their own executives and could not be challenged.

The situation was further complicated by Liverpool lodging a new £22m bid over the weekend, but Jones’s desire to join United meant his move to Old Trafford was never in doubt.

In a further twist, Venky’s are suspicious that United knew the exact figure of the release clause, and considered calling in the Premier League to investigate if an illegal approach had been made.

There are similarities with Christian Ziege’s departure from Middlesbrough in 2000, when Liverpool signed the Germany full back for the £5.5m release clause in his contract even though Chelsea and Rangers were offering £8m.
 
United land Jones for £16.5m (again)

By Ian Herbert, Northern Football Correspondent
Monday, 13 June 2011

Kenny Dalglish knew Phil Jones' heart was set on Old Trafford, so there may have been Anfield mischief

Manchester United have refused to allow Blackburn Rovers to drive up the price for centre-half Phil Jones and, despite a late attempt by Liverpool to capitalise on the chaos surrounding the player's transfer, confirmation of the £16.5m deal is expected imminently.

Liverpool tabled a £22m counter-bid for Jones on Saturday, after it emerged that Rovers' Indian owners, Venky's, were insisting that the £16m get-out clause written into the player's contract was merely a starting figure for negotiations. The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, knew Jones' heart was set on Old Trafford and there appears to have been an element of mischief in Anfield's attempts to gazump United and thus potentially drive up the price.

The Indians were advised that the get-out clause allows Jones to move to any club which offers the stipulated sum and the original £16.5m sale of Jones was actually concluded on Saturday.

United's refusal to offer more than their original figure for Jones is, in part, based on the outcome of the High Court case which followed Christian Ziege's move from Middlesbrough to Liverpool in August 2000.

Although Middlesbrough argued that Glasgow Rangers and Chelsea had both offered £7.5m for Ziege, Justice Astill said that the German had no market value as a player because Middlesbrough had agreed to allow him the £5.5m release clause. The clause "effectively removed [Middlesbrough] from the picture. [The club] was left with no choice; a choice which it would otherwise have had under the terms of the standard contract," the court found.

Blackburn's only recourse to compensation is based on United's knowledge of the £16m release clause – commercially confidential information which enabled them to bid at virtually the lowest price possible to trigger the sale of Jones. Rovers may negotiate a compromise with United, based on Jones' appearances and trophies United win with him, to avoid a drawn-out legal battle on this point. Middlesbrough pursued Liverpool through the courts on similar grounds, arguing that the buying club profited from confidential information to bid at Ziege's exact £5.5m release clause figure.

At the time, Middlesbrough alleged an illegal approach had been made to the player. The two sides settled out of court with the Premier League acting as a mediator.

Blackburn's case is complicated by the fact that it needed Venky's' football advisers to resolve the weekend's impasse by making the contractual situation clear to the Indians – namely, that the release clause had been inserted into Jones' contract when he agreed an extension to his terms in February.
 
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