Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will reportedly reject any offer from Arsenal for defender Phil Jones as he doesn’t want to do business with Arsene Wenger.
The pair have never seen eye-to-eye as a result of their rivalry during Mourinho’s two spells at Chelsea, while things aren’t likely to get any better following his switch to United this summer.
Wenger is understood to have enquired about Jones’ availability as he desperately looks to sign a defender before the deadline, but the Evening Standard report that he will be met with firm resistance as the Red Devils have no desire to negotiate with him or the Gunners.
In the bigger picture, this of course also comes down to the fact that whether or not Jones is deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, United don’t want to strengthen a direct rival.
Mourinho and Wenger’s relationship will likely play a part in that, but ultimately they probably would consider a sale to a club in different circumstances.
The 24-year-old is unlikely to be a first-team regular with the likes of Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly and Daley Blind ahead of him in the pecking order, and Mourinho is under pressure to trim his squad after spending massive amounts this summer.
In turn, Jones will likely be considering his options in the next week, but whether or not he has a desire to join Arsenal could be irrelevant with United refusing to do business with them.
Having seen their pursuit of Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia lose momentum, it remains to be seen where Arsenal look next as they scramble for additional quality and depth in defence after the injuries sustained by Per Mertesacker and Gabriel during pre-season.