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What's the story?
Contract negotiations are underway for an army of Manchester United players and now, according to Sky Sports, United centre-back, Phil Jones has agreed a new deal with the club.
In case you didn't know...
Manchester United's defensive problems are well documented. Jose Mourinho was desperate to sign a centre-back in the summer. However, the club did not go on and make new acquisitions on that front which left the manager visibly frustrated.
Mourinho tried several combinations at centre-back, even deploying the likes of Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay intermittently in the hopes of shoring up their leaky defence.
However, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over, the Red Devils have improved defensively and Phil Jones has been one of the Norwegian manager's go-to defenders.
The heart of the matter
Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones are forming a formidable partnership at the heart of the Manchester United defence and the club has now extended his contract. Speaking about the extension Phil Jones said,
I am delighted to have signed a new contract. Manchester United has been a big part of my life for eight years and I love everything about this club.
"I am excited about the challenges that lie ahead of us as we prepare for a very busy period in the season. I would like to thank Ole and the coaching staff for their continued support in my development."
Phil Jones is now tied to the club till 2023 and Manchester United will have the option of extending it by another year. He has been with the club since 2011 and has struggled to fulfil his potential after enduring several bouts of injuries.
What's next?
Despite tying Jones to a new agreement, Manchester United will need to venture into the transfer market in the summer and sign a world-class centre-back. Jones' history suggests that he is prone to injuries and is not entirely reliable over the course of a season.
