Manchester United Set to Offer Benched Defender New Contract Amidst Interest from London Sides

Manchester United are reportedly willing to offer defender Phil Jones a 12-month option to his current deal by the end of the month.

The Englishman is one of several United stars to be out of contract in the summer and the club are providing him with an added year in the hope of cashing in on the 26-year-old, whose contract expire in June, instead of allowing the defender to leave for free. 

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Jones arrived at Old Trafford from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2011 for £15m and has since made 194 appearances. He has helped them win three titles, including the Premier League, the Europa League and the FA Cup.

However, his career with the Red Devils has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons and he has struggled to regain his confidence. Jones has made just two appearances in all competitions this season under José Mourinho, both in defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Derby County.

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Yet, according to The Sun, the centre-back is rated highly by Mourinho despite not seeing a lot of game time this season. The United management will try to secure the services of the defender for another year to avoid selling him for free, amid rumoured interest from north London sides Arsenal and Tottenham.

The Sun also suggested that the 12-month extension will allow United to consider potential replacements for Jones, with River Plate's Exequiel Palacios, who is also wanted by Real Madrid, at the top of their list.

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Palacios has played 38 times for La Banda since joining the first team in January 2017. His current deal with Los Millonarios ends in June 2021 and he has registered two senior international appearances for Argentina.

The Red Devils reportedly sent scouts to watch the defender in action in the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores Final first-leg against rivals Boca Juniors.