Jonny Evans looks set to leave The Hawthorns this month but the chances of leaving Premier League strugglers West Brom for Manchester City look slim.
It looks more and more likely that Jonny Evans will not be a West Bromwich Albion player by the end of the month.
The BBC reported on Tuesday that there is a £3 million release clause in the centre-back’s contract. And, with West Brom stuck in the Premier League relegation zone, they risk missing out on at least £20 million if they refuse to sell now and fall through the trap door at the end of the season.
But the chances of Manchester City handing West Brom a decent sum for Evans this month appear to be over.
It is understood that City see Laporte, who is seven years Evans’ junior, as a better long-term investment and they may be right. The former Manchester United defender is a solid Premier League centre-back, but Laporte has the potential to be truly world-class and has all the attributes Pep Guardiola could want from a centre-back.
The Baggies could still sell Evans this month, with the Independent reporting that Arsenal could now step up their interest. West Brom are demanding £20 million and, with the Northern Irishman refusing to sign a new contract, it appears that a parting of the ways would be for the best this month.
FFP restrictions mean the Baggies need to sell Evans to fund much-needed striking additions while, in Egyptian international Ali Gabr, they already have a replacement lined up.
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