Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Phil Jones, Top Rumours

Manager Jose Mourinho wants Phil Jones to stay at Manchester United "for the time being" and will resist any interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal, who are reportedly keen on the England man they tried to sign ahead of the Old Trafford club five years ago.

The Daily Telegraph's Sam Wallace has detailed the state of play regarding Jones, United and the Gunners:

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Arsene Wenger’s search for a new centre-back before the window closes next Wednesday has meant that no alternatives can be discounted. Jones, 24, has four years left on his current deal, including options, and earns in excess of £100,000-a-week which would make his salary a big commitment and out of the range of most.

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Stoke City have been the chief suitors for Jones but Arsenal also have had him on their list of options as they get closer to the end of the transfer window with injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel to cover. Under current market condition Jones would be valued at around £20 million to £25 million by United were they prepared to do business.

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Speculation regarding Jones' future at Old Trafford has intensified in recent days, with a number of clubs from England's top flight linked. However, all interested suitors seem set to be rebuffed, with Arsenal just the latest to be potentially spurned.

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They have been added to a group that already counts Stoke City, Hull City and Watford as members, per MailOnline's Simon Jones. It's a bold show of defiance from Mourinho, but it would be interesting to see how long his resolve would last if a club actually stumped up the £25 million Wallace suggested as an asking price.

It would surely represent a tempting payday for a player who has been blighted by injuries since joining the Red Devils in 2011. At the time, the Old Trafford club thought it had scored a coup after beating both Arsenal and Liverpool to the punch for the young and versatile Blackburn Rovers star.

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However, Jones hasn't developed into the talisman United hoped for. He can thrive as both a centre-back or holding midfielder when fit, but the 24-year-old just can't stay off the treatment table, with Chris Smalling surpassing him in the pecking order.

Jones isn't helping United, and Mourinho needs funds if he's going to bolster his defensive options during the final days of the summer transfer window. He's reportedly in a standoff with chief executive Ed Woodward over a potential deal for Southampton's Jose Fonte, a signing Woodward won't allow until the current squad is trimmed, according to the Sun's Phil Cadden.

Sanctioning the lucrative sale of an oft-injured player would seem like the obvious answer to Mourinho's dilemma.

Bastian Schweinsteiger Available for Just £2 Million

One player Mourinho is content to get rid of, and as soon as possible, is veteran German playmaker Bastian Schweinsteiger. In fact, the United manager is prepared to take a mere £2 million for the former Bayern Munich ace, per German source SportBild (h/t Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror).

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Frankly, it's hardly surprising Schweinsteiger does not fit into Mourinho's vision for United. The 32-year-old is savvy and has an eye for a pass, but he's not the dynamic athlete Mourinho usually prefers in the middle.

Specifically, Schweinsteiger lacks the overt physicality to break up play, along with the quickness to be a factor on the break. Both qualities are crucial in the swift counter-attacking style Mourinho preaches.

Even United's current starting XI is short in some of these areas, with Marouane Fellaini, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic lacking the pace to really stretch teams on the break.

Schweinsteiger has been frozen out this summer, forced to train with the reserves in a bid for fitness and to try to stay relevant. Yet it doesn't seem like it will ever work between him and Mourinho, so a quick exit is best for all parties.

Woodward is right to call for a thinning of the ranks after a summer of heavy spending. However, United will have to accept taking a financial loss in some cases, as well as being willing to give up on once-promising prospects in others.