Three clubs have expressed an interest in taking Manchester United misfit Phil Jones on loan come the January transfer market, including Wayne Rooney’s Derby County.
The Rams, however, will face stern competition for the 28-year-old star from struggling Premier League duo West Brom and Burnley, with the latter only likely to submit an official offer should they lose in-demand centre-half James Tarkowski next month.
Phil was excluded from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s 25-man Premier League roster and hasn’t made a competitive appearance for his side since January’s FA Cup fourth round win against Tranmere.
The former England international earns £120,000 per week, but United are willing to subsidise a significant portion of his wages to help facilitate a transfer.
Speaking about his player, and a host of his other fringe players, Soslkajer said the previous week: ‘Marcos Rojo has just felt a niggle in his calf again.
‘He worked really hard to come back, played for reserves, got a knock, worked hard again and hopefully he’s back in January.
‘Phil should be ready by January and Sergio [Romero] has been training hard as well.’
Derby are unbeaten in six matches since Rooney took sole charge of a club which had been rooted to the bottom of the Championship standings.
The Rams remain in the relegation area but are now just a single point from safety having been cut adrift before the sacking of the Dutch tactician Phillip Cocu last month.
In other news, Manchester United are willing to turn their transfer attention to Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin, according to the latest reports.
