STOKE CAPTURE OF PHIL JONES FROM MANCHESTER UNITED IS EMINENT

Stoke city assistant manager Mark Bowen believes the club are hopeful of signing defender Phil Jones from Manchester United in the next week.

Jones only made 10 Premier League appearances in 2015/16, with an ankle problem sustained in January ultimately ending his campaign.

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United boss Jose Mourinho appears to be going with Eric Bailly and Daley Blind as his centre-back pairing this season, and with Chris Smalling also in the mix, Jones may be tempted to move on for regular first-team football.
Stoke manager Mark Hughes is keen to land the England international, and Bowen has confirmed a deal could materialise.
"I remember Sam Allardyce talking about him when he broke through and said he was the new Duncan Edwards," Bowen said in the Stoke Sentinel.
"He did well as a youngster, got the big move, but it hasn't worked out for him there. I don't know how close we are or how far down the line it's gone.
"He's played the majority of his career at centre-half, but in his younger days he went into midfield as well.
"I don't know what's gone wrong, but he's gone from even a player Fergie [Alex Ferguson] was talking about as being someone who could have been one of the greats.
"But we have a bit of reputation for bringing players like that into this set-up and then thriving. Fingers crossed, something may happen."