City to bid £24m for former United defender Evans
Manchester City are poised to make a bid of about £24million for West Bromwich Albion captain Jonny Evans.
City are keen to land the Northern Ireland international before Aug 31 and are set to table an improved offer in the next 48 hours. Albion have already turned down £18million.
Evans, 29, a former Manchester United defender, is settled at the Hawthorns but the prospect of a return to Champions League football is attractive.
Guardiola has already spent more than £230million this summer but still wants a new defender, with Evans holding extra appeal due to his ‘home-grown’ status.
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez remains a top target with a £70million bid likely to be made, despite Arsene Wenger’s reluctance to sell last season’s leading scorer. Sanchez has less than a year left on his deal and City are offering a contract worth more than £300,000 a week.
City’s Wilfried Bony is on the brink of a return to former club Swansea for £13million.
Tony Pulis, the Albion head coach, is also prepared to sell for a significant fee to boost his own transfer plans, with Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho an option if Evans is sold.
West Brom agreed a £15million deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Kevin Wimmer last week but they are now facing competition from Crystal Palace, who also want Red Bull Leipzig winger Oliver Burke.