SHOW ME THE MONEY, PEP
Pulis insists skipper Evans can go to City but only if they make an ‘enormous’ offer he can’t refuse
TONY PULIS admits West Brom will sell Jonny Evans if Manchester City table an “enormous” offer.
City are considering an improved £22million bid for Evans after West Brom rejected their £18m offer and Pulis (left) believes they will have to go higher than that.
“Everybody’s got their value and their need and our need is for Jonny to stay,” said boss Pulis.
“If we don’t keep Jonny and they blow us out of the water, the responsibility for us is to find someone to take Jonny’s place. That’s not going to be easy so it can’t come as an easy-come, easy-go transfer.
“It’s absolutely crazy to say a team like West Brom won’t sell players if people are going to put an enormous amount of money in front of you – it’s market forces.
“We don’t want or need to sell him, we are not desperate to get the money in, so it would have to be a very, very good offer.”
Evans will miss today’s match at Burnley with a hamstring injury and Pulis is confident he will not agitate for a move.
“He had a chance to go to Arsenal last year,” said Pulis. “Leicester last year too and again this summer and it hasn’t affected him any way, shape or form.”
City are adamant they will not be held to ransom by West Brom and Evans is one of a number of centre-half targets they have identified. They have looked at Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and want a player with Premier League experience to cover for Vincent Kompany and John Stones.
City boss Pep Guardiola said: “He’s a player for West Brom. It’s still the same, Tony was clear, nothing has changed.
“We try to have the best squad possible for the long season. We’ll see how the market finishes.”