Why Signing This £35m West Bromwich Defender Could Make Everton’s Defence Rock Solid This Season

Signing West Brom’s Jonny Evans Could Make Everton’s Defence Rock Solid This Season

Everton could revive their long-forgotten interest in West Bromwich Albion’s Johnny Evans. The rumour is fascinating though, given that before Evans’ move to West Brom, the defender was on the verge of a move to Everton, which ultimately fell through. Evans joined West Brom after making nearly 200 appearances for Manchester United, without ever really establishing himself as an important part of the defence at Old Trafford. Now, the Toffees are back for Evans again, but they will have quite a task at hand since they need to ensure they sign him this time.

The Northern Ireland international defender has established himself as an important player for the Baggies over the past two seasons, and the club may not be too keen on letting him join a rival side. However, Everton owner Farhad Moshiri could be prepared to dig deep into his pockets once more, in an attempt to work their way out of trouble, especially since the mega splurge over the summer has not yielded results.

West Brom boss Tony Pulis did his utmost to ensure they held on to Evans during the summer, but he could tempted to agree to the sale of the prolific defender. West Brom put off the suitors by placing a £35m price tag on the defender. Evans’ campaign has been blighted by injury so far, which could tempt the Baggies to accept big money rather than battle to hold on to him again.

Meanwhile, Evans could truly make a big impact at Everton. The Toffees have been defensively woeful this season, and may see Evans as the ideal solution, given that he is a proven Premier League defender. Also, at 29 years of age, he seems to be the ideal blend of experience and ability, making him a potentially perfect partner for fellow ex-Manchester United defender Michael Keane.

Judging from the present situation, it is very unlikely that Evans would struggle for game time at Everton. Manchester City were also reportedly interested in signing him and if he were to join the current Premier League leaders, Evans could have potentially seen a significant dip in the amount of time spent on the field.

Moreover, the Toffees have to deal with concerns over the ageing Ashley Williams and Phil Jagielka. Both players have been struggling this season and it seems like Everton are ready to spend big on a new centre-back in January. Thus, Moshiri’s money may now be spent on securing Evans, as the manager-less Toffees already look towards re-building the squad in January.