JERMAINE Jones has not ruled out a permanent move to Blackburn Rovers this summer – but the USA midfielder is remaining tight-lipped about where he would rather play his football next season.

Jones spent the second half of the season on loan from Schalke after falling out with Felix Magath, but Ralf Rangnick has since replaced Magath as boss and has made it clear that he wants the American international back at the German club.

Rovers boss Steve Kean has declared his intention to seek a permanent deal for the 29-year-old but failed in his attempts to fix a price when Jones arrived on loan in January.

It now remains to be seen whether he will be able to offer enough money to tempt Schalke into a deal.

Jones is currently preparing to represent the United States in their opening game of the Gold Cup against Canada today and, while saying he enjoyed his time at Rovers, has insisted that he wants to leave the situation to his agent and the two clubs to resolve.

“It was a good, good time for me,” said Jones of his Rovers stay.

“I have a lot of new friends, they are very nice people and now I need to look at what happens.

“My team in Germany say I come back and we need to look at what happens.

“My agent knows what I want and I was talking with him.

“For me my next concentration is the Gold Cup and the other stuff is for Blackburn, Schalke and my agent, and we’ll see what happens. Everything can happen.

“I was at Blackburn for six months and I made the focus of this six months to help them.

“Now it is finished, we’re safe and everybody is happy, so now it is my focus to win the Gold Cup with America.

“I was talking with Steve Kean, we stay in contact and he needs to talk with the owner and all that stuff.

“We will stay in contact but my concentration is the Gold Cup.

“I have a contract in Schalke for three years and this is the first thing.

“The other stuff I let my agent sort out and then look what happens.”

And, whether he returns to Rovers or not, Jones remains convinced that the club now have a bright future after avoiding relegation.

“They have a lot of good players and I think the time is coming,” he said.

“They want to change something and maybe next season is the time to do it.

“Then I think they don’t fight to stay in the league.

“The whole team has big quality. You have Junior Hoilett, Martin Olsson, Phil Jones, a lot of young players.

“They are young and they need time to grow up, but when they have that time this team is a really good team.

“Their big years will come in the next year or two years, and then you have really great players in the Premier League.

“Phil Jones is 19 and he plays really good in the Premier League.

“I hope that he has no injuries and can play every game, then it’s right that he has a chance to play for England.

“When it happens I am happy for him.”