Revs GM "Hopeful" that Jones will Remain in New England

With his initial year-and-a-half deal set to expire at the end of the 2015 season, the future of Jermaine Jones is uncertain, but the New England Revolution front office is hopeful that he will stay with the team.

"We hope that Jermaine wants to remain here," General Manager Michael Burns said on State of the Revs. "When he signed with MLS, we didn’t know, he didn’t know, Chicago didn’t know where he was going to end up in terms of that whole mechanism."

When rumors initially surfaced that Jones was heading to Major League Soccer after the World Cup, speculation began about where the US international wanted to land. Some pointed out that his family lived in sunny California while others claimed that he had deep connections to Chicago (which turned out to be false). Ultimately, Jones landed in New England via a blind draw, a device that has since been retired.

While Jones works in New England, his family has remained on the west coast, leading to frequent weekend trips. Despite this, the Designated Player has been clear that he’s open to extending his stay in New England, saying that he would even relocate his family if a long-term deal can be arranged.

"I like it and I have a lot of fun," Jones told MLSSoccer.com about New England. "People give me so much respect here in the city. I would say the only point I try to talk now with the league to get a longer contract so I can switch my kids too, my family. For one year, it’s not possible to get them out of school and all that stuff."

These words are exactly what the Revolution front office wants to hear as Jones has been sensational for the club since signing. His mid-season arrival last year helped spark a change for the Revolution, who returned to MLS Cup Final for the first time since 2007. This season his versatility has been on display as he has deputized as a center back while others pushed towards full health. More than a solid player, Jones has become the face of the franchise.

"We’ve been thrilled with him," Burns remarked. "We’re glad to hear that he wants to re-sign. We will certainly have conversations with him and his representative about retaining him and keeping him in New England."

While both parties have been publicly upbeat about a contract extension, Burns knows that Jones will have plenty of options, both in and out of MLS. Still, Burns remains hopeful.

"He is a free player at the end of this year, a player of his caliber is certainly going to have options," Burns stated. "We’re glad to hear that he wants to remain here. So, hopefully we'll be able to sit down and get something done to keep him here longer term."