Manchester United supporters reacted with a mixture of bemusement and sheer anger at news that Phil Jones had signed a new long-term contract at the club.
The club confirmed on Friday morning that Jones, who joined the club in 2011, had penned a new four-year deal at Old Trafford.
News of Anthony Martial signing a new five-year deal last week was greeted with raptures of joy among the club’s online fan-base.
The sight of Jones posing with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having signed a new deal surprised Man United fans and indeed angered a great many too.
https://twitter.com/ManUnitedTalk/status/1093789944865263616
https://twitter.com/TWLYouTube/status/1093798071853551616
Seriously? No offence but he’s not good enough. Maybe as a last last resort. But we need to improve our centre backs. Jones, Smalling and Rojo are poor. Not United standard. Hopefully this is just to give us more bargaining power for when we sell him in the summer
— John (@jbabz84) February 8, 2019
A new 4 year deal for what exactly? How are these mediocre players still at the club, truly embarrassing. While you’re there, offer Valencia & Mata +5. Mind-blowing.
— ManUnitedMedia (@ManUnitedMedia) February 8, 2019
April fools is 2 months away lads.
— Ryan. 🔴 (@Vintage_Utd) February 8, 2019
https://twitter.com/SemperFiUtd/status/1093789691604844545
This was an unexpected development to wake up to on Friday morning but the outcry has reached unnecessary levels.
If you think about it, the move makes sense for the club. Any top team requires five defenders and United want to let Marcos Rojo make way, leaving the club with Jones, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, and a new summer signing, perhaps.
More to the point, what does a four-year deal effectively mean? In the case of Jones, just like it was with Marouane Fellaini, the move is principally designed to increase the Englishman’s value on the transfer market.
It is certainly not worth getting one’s knickers in a twist, that’s for sure.