It looks set to be a summer of change for Manchester United with manager Erik ten Hag seemingly plotting to move on a host of first-team assets ahead of next season, in order for the Dutchman to continue his squad rebuild at Old Trafford.
One man who appears to be a certainty to move on to pastures new is long-serving dud, Phil Jones, with the former Blackburn Rovers man – who arrived in Manchester on a £16m deal back in 2011 – having just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal at the club.
As The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell revealed earlier this week, the former England international is yet to complete a full training session since the former Ajax boss arrived at the club, having been so "unfortunate" with injuries in recent years.
The 31-year-old has not been included in United's Premier League squad and is not set to be handed a look in any time soon, despite the loss of both Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane to their own injury woes of late.
The £75k-per-week man's slide down the pecking order was laid bare during the club's Carabao Cup final triumph back in February, with the experienced asset having been part of Sky Sports' pre-match coverage, rather than earning a place in the matchday squad.
That fall from grace represents a real decline for a player who was once tipped to be the Red Devils' "best ever player" by Sir Alex Ferguson, with it somewhat bizarre that the peripheral figure has not been moved on even sooner, having made just six league appearances since the start of the 2019/20 campaign.
While by his own admission, the 27-cap brute has endured a "tough time" of it of late, Jones can still look back fondly on his positive start to life at the club, having notably played his part in United's most recent title success, back in 2013.
That winner's medal is something which teammate Harry Maguire – who has also been tipped for a departure this summer – is unlikely to get his hands on any time soon.
Is Maguire worse than Jones?
It could well be said that it would be Jones who could leave the club with a greater legacy as a result of his part in that title triumph, having made 17 league appearances in the 2012/13 campaign.
Maguire, by contrast, only swooped his first piece of silverware as a result of the League Cup success earlier this season, albeit while only featuring off the bench in the showpiece victory against Newcastle United.
Although the 30-year-old still has time to add to his tally with Ten Hag's men still in the FA Cup and League Cup, supporters would no doubt have been expecting more from the England international following his £80m arrival from Leicester City just under four years ago.
Not that the Sheffield native is to blame for that price tag – nor is Jones to blame for being handed a new long-term deal in 2019 – although such a high-profile signing would have been expected to lead a side toward a title charge.
Equally, while with the case of Jones – who was branded a "very good player" by former boss Jose Mourinho – the struggling dud has largely been impacted by his injury woes, it is Maguire's on-field performances that have drawn notable criticism, having been described as "woeful" by pundit Lianne Sanderson earlier in the campaign.
Club legend Rio Ferdinand also suggested that the former Foxes man should feel "embarrassed" after arguably being outshone by Jones when the injury-prone defender made a rare outing against Wolverhampton Wanderers last season in his place, with the latter man having impressed despite his lack of action prior to that defeat at Old Trafford.
As Ferdinand noted, supporters were notably "singing his name" when the Preston-born rock left the field following that 1-0 loss, with there perhaps a sense of sympathy toward Jones for the repeated injury woes that he has had to endure, having "kept trying" to get fit – as per Whitwell.
As Ferguson's ultimately failed prediction showcased, the ageing talent was at one stage a hugely bright prospect at Old Trafford, with repeated setbacks having ensured that the 5 foot 11 man never managed to reach that early potential.
In the case of Maguire, supporters are likely to be less forgiving of a player who is captain of the club and who remains the most expensive defender of all time.
Of course, neither man can be deemed a successful signing, in truth, although Jones' title glory will ensure he leaves behind a legacy that it looks as if Maguire will be unable to match, particularly should the £190k-per-week skipper follow his compatriot out the door this summer.