Could Jonny Evans be the latest player to cross Manchester’s red and blue divide, albeit with a stop in between?
Reports Wednesday say West Bromwich Albion has rejected a $23 million Manchester City bid for the Northern Irish center back.
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$23 million? That’s like 40 percent of a Kyle Walker!
Evans, 29, is the Baggies captain and a key piece of the club’s aims to continue its long stay in the Premier League.
He joined Manchester United’s academy at age 16 and stayed at Old Trafford through 2015, taking loan opportunities at Royal Antwerp and Sunderland on the way.
At United, Evans won three Premier League titles and two League Cups, and also has a Championship win from one of his two stints at Sunderland.
The 61-times capped Belfast native would give City a key component for Premier League play along with a center back corps of Nicolas Otamendi, Vincent Kompany, and John Stones. Eliaquim Mangala completes their veteran depth, and is certainly City’s weakest position.
Would West Brom sell at any reasonable price? The Baggies are not deep at center back, either -- not too many clubs are -- and will be in a boatload of trouble without Evans. And given the transfer market, finding a proper replacement at under $30 million is going to be difficult (Reread that sentence. What a summer).
It’s another argument for the transfer window closing before the start of the season.