<a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvTWFuY2hlc3RlciBVbml0ZWQ=" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvTWFuY2hlc3RlciBVbml0ZWQ=">Manchester United</a> have fully secured the signature of Phil Jones in a transfer potentially worth more than £20million (Dh119,212m) after <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQmxhY2tidXJuIFJvdmVycw==" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQmxhY2tidXJuIFJvdmVycw==">Blackburn Rovers</a> abandoned attempts of blocking the deal and auctioning the defender off to <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvTGl2ZXJwb29s" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvTGl2ZXJwb29s">Liverpool</a>, <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQXJzZW5hbA==" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQXJzZW5hbA==">Arsenal</a>, <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQ2hlbHNlYQ==" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvQ2hlbHNlYQ==">Chelsea</a>, <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvTWFuY2hlc3RlciBDaXR5" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvTWFuY2hlc3RlciBDaXR5">Manchester City</a> or <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvVG90dGVuaGFtIEhvdHNwdXI=" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL09yZ2FuaXNhdGlvbnMvU3BvcnRzIHRlYW1zL0VuZ2xpc2ggUHJlbWllciBMZWFndWUgZm9vdGJhbGwgdGVhbXMvVG90dGVuaGFtIEhvdHNwdXI=">Tottenham Hotspur</a>. United will pay £16.5m for Jones, plus up to £4m in achievable add-ons - the fees required to trigger a release clause in his contract. <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/wenger-snaps-up-jenkinson-as-man-united-get-jones">Though Jones agreed terms with United and completed a medical on Tuesday</a>, the transfer stalled when Anuradha Desai, chair of Blackburn owners Venky's, challenged the player's right to exercise the clause. Amidst talk of Blackburn contesting United's approach with the Premier League and an improved £22m offer from Liverpool for a player Kenny Dalglish had placed at the top of his central defensive recruitment list, Jones was informed on Saturday night that he was free to complete his move to United. Deputy Sports Editor Kevin Affleck speaks about the transfer talk, UAE football and the Royal Ascot racing. Our F1 correspondent Gary Meenaghan dwelves into the pros and cons of having two back-to-back races in the same continent. <a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL0V2ZW50cy9Gb3JtdWxhIE9uZSAyMDExL0JhaHJhaW4gR3JhbmQgUHJpeCAyMDEx" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL0V2ZW50cy9Gb3JtdWxhIE9uZSAyMDExL0JhaHJhaW4gR3JhbmQgUHJpeCAyMDEx"></a><a href="gopher://topicL3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL0V2ZW50cy9Gb3JtdWxhIE9uZSAyMDExL0NhbmFkaWFuIEdyYW5kIFByaXggMjAxMQ==" inlink="topic::L3RoZW5hdGlvbmFsL0V2ZW50cy9Gb3JtdWxhIE9uZSAyMDExL0NhbmFkaWFuIEdyYW5kIFByaXggMjAxMQ==">More on CANADIAN GP</a> Desai's position became untenable when it was established that Jones' contract - improved in February - had been signed off by one of her own club's executives and agreed by a representative working for Blackburn. The 19-year-old centre back has agreed a contract until 2016 and will become the second most expensive teenage signing in English football, behind only Wayne Rooney's £27m move to Old Trafford in 2004. Securing Jones is a major coup for Sir Alex Ferguson, who now has a prospective England central defence waiting in reserve to succeed Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. So impressive was Jones' first full season of Premier League football that the division top-seven clubs were all ready to pay the fee required to release him from Blackburn. Liverpool and Arsenal both spoke to the player last week. Ferguson is considering investing upwards of £80m in transfer fees this summer. Deals worth around £15m and £18m are in place for <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/premier-league-wrap-bent-believes-that-villa-can-cope-with-losing-young">Aston Villa forward Ashley Young</a> and <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/bargain-hunting-for-players-on-a-tricky-premier-league-roulette">Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea. </a> Young is expected to sign for United when he returns from a holiday in the United States, while De Gea will join when his contract with his current agent expires at the end of June. In central midfield, <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/united-prioritise-modric-tottenham-close-in-on-park">Ferguson has prioritised the purchase of Luka Modric</a>, Tottenham's most influential player. Though Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has warned United that he will not sell Modric, his club is under financial pressure after missing out on Champions League football, and the normally reticent Croatian has given two interviews in the past fortnight discussing a possible transfer. More than 10 players could leave United this summer. <a href="http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/gill-excited-by-potential-of-bebe-as-welbeck-is-loaned-to-sunderland">Bebe, their Portugal Under 21 striker</a>, has joined Besiktas for the duration of 2011/12 or a €1m (Dh5,96m) loan fee and a lucrative option to buy.