Manchester United are reportedly considering re-signing Jonny Evans this summer, three years after they sold him to West Bromwich Albion.
According to a report by The Sun, Jonny Evans could be on his way back to Manchester United, three years after he moved away from Old Trafford to join West Bromwich Albion. The Northern Irishman is wanted by Jose Mourinho to bolster his central defensive options in the summer transfer window.
Evans spent nine seasons as a first-team member at Manchester United after progressing through the ranks at the club. In the summer of 2015 though, the player moved away from Old Trafford to join West Brom after falling down the pecking order under Louis van Gaal.
At the Hawthorns, Evans has well and truly come into his own, bar the current campaign, which has been turbulent for both club and the player to say the least. As West Brom look primed to drop down to the Championship, the player’s time at the club looks to be coming to an end as he is unlikely to stay put in the second tier.
With the Northern Ireland international regarded as one of the most reliable defenders in the Premier League, there does not seem to be any dearth of interest in him. While the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal have been heavily linked with him in the last two transfer windows, Manchester United are the latest side in his pursuit.
The Red Devils do boast the second best defensive record in the Premier League, but they haven’t posed a stable look, especially at the heart of defence, where there has been a lot of chopping and changing due to injuries and poor form. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has often voiced his displeasure at his side’s defensive shortcomings in recent weeks as well.
Moreover, rumours have been rife about Phil Jones and Chris Smalling facing uncertain futures at Old Trafford, with the latter highly likely to depart in the summer. With Victor Lindelof earmarked as the long-term partner for Eric Bailly, the Manchester United manager believes the experienced Evans is just the kind of defender to recruit.
With the player previously spending several illustrious seasons at Old Trafford, settling in should not be an issue either. As far as Manchester United are concerned, the fact that Evans will be available for a cut-price £3 million buyout clause if West Brom get relegated only makes the 30-year-old an even more tempting a prospect.
What appears to be certain is that Evans’s time at West Brom will come to an end in the summer. It now remains to be seen if he has a reunion with some former teammates at Manchester United, or if some other club swoops him away instead.
