Why is Phil Jones still at Manchester United? Sell him!

Phil Jones is stealing a living at Manchester United. Instead of accepting mediocrity, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should sell the centre-back and make a statement.

The summer transfer window opened on May 16 for Premier League clubs. So can anyone explain to me why Phil Jones is still at Manchester United?

Since joining the club from Blackburn Rovers back in 2011, the centre-back has missed a whopping 123 games due to injury.

Even when he is fit enough to play, Jones is hardly convincing, losing United countless games by his antics on the pitch – from giving away penalties needlessly to scoring spectacular own goals.

After his side finished 6th in the Premier League after an abysmal end to the season, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hinted that some of the players responsible for our poor performances would be leaving in the summer.

Although his candid comments about his dissatisfaction with the current group of players at Old Trafford were appreciated by fans, he needs to act on them by clearing out his squad of players who are clearly not fit enough to wear the United shirt – starting with Phil Jones.

Some fans may see this as harsh, but I don’t think so. Yes, the 27-year-old has been a loyal servant to the club for many years – but we can’t keep accepting mediocrity at the club.

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Doing so has caused us to miss out on a place in the Champions League next season. If United fail to get rid of dead weight and sign more promising replacements, the Europa League will be our level for seasons to come.

We cannot allow this to happen. Solskjaer must be ruthless in the summer transfer window, and Ed Woodward must back the manager with the necessary funds to revamp his squad.

United are dying out for a centre-back to partner Victor Lindelof in defence who can make crunching tackles and play out from the back with ease. Jones clearly isn’t this player.

Getting rid of him would send the right kind of message to the rest of the squad – rise to the level expected of you at a club like Manchester United, or get out. Simple as.