Manchester United to extend defender's contract

Manchester United will reportedly exercise an extension clause in Phil Jones' contract to keep him at Old Trafford until the end of the 2019/2020 season.

The England international is out-of-contract at the end of the current campaign but this has caught the eye of the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur of late.

However, United seem reluctant to lose Jones on the cheap and according to The Sun, they could be prepared to enhance his valuation by triggering a 12-month option on his contract.

Jones had suffered multiple muscular problems over the past seven seasons and he is currently out of contention for a starting spot for United across all competitions.

Despite this, Mourinho is said to value the experience which Jones brings to the fore and the Portuguese appears certain to keep the defender until the summer where a replacement could be found.

Manchester United are scheduled to face Manchester City in the crunch cross-town derby at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon. United come into the game on the back of three straight wins across all competitions.