West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans has been linked with a big money move to Premier League giants Manchester City, as the Citizen’s look to bolster their squad further prior to the transfer window slamming firmly shut.
City boss Pep Guardiola remains in the market for a central defender and sees Evans as an ideal solution to boost his squad.
Kompany can’t be relied upon, while Stones hasn’t lived up to the hype
The Spaniard has invested heavily in his defence this transfer window which saw moves for Benjamin Mendy, Kyle Walker and Danilo come to fruition to replace their ageing full-backs.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss wishes to make another defensive signing due to the ongoing injury woes consistently plaguing club captain Vincent Kompany.
The Belgian is seen as an important member of the squad when fit, however has seen his playing time hindered after suffering from a niggling knee injury which has sidelined him on several occasions.
The Citizens have invested millions in players over the past few years that have failed to hit the mark, and seen their City careers stumble, including Eliaquim Mangala, who was last season shipped out on loan to Spanish club Valencia.
Last summer, City signed England International John Stones for a hefty fee just short of £50m. However, upon his move his performances received criticism from pundits and this continued throughout the season as he failed to live up to his price tag.
Vital player at West Brom
The link with Evans comes as a surprise for many given his former club being City’s cross city neighbours Manchester United.
The Northern Irish international worked his way through the ranks at the Old Trafford club and featured regularly having been promoted to the first team squad however moved to the Hawthorns in search of regular first team football after being made surplus to requirements by then United boss Louis Van Gaal.
Since moving to the Midlands based club, Evans became a vital member of the squad and was eventually appointed club captain, emphasising his capacity to be an effective leader.
Solid option for Pep
Should City splash the cash on yet another defensive signing, Evans can be seen as a solid option, however with West Brom seemingly reluctant to sell, the Citizens will have to submit a tempting offer for the Baggies to consider selling up.
Written by Cristian Fry
Follow Cristian on Twitter @CristianF99
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