Arsenal are back in for Jonny Evans and could offer a player plus cash deal to prise the West Bromwich Albion defender to the Emirates this month.
According to a report by Daily Mail, Arsenal are poised to return with an offer for West Bromwich Albion captain Jonny Evans. Arsenal are in the market for a centre-back as Arsene Wenger re-evaluates his defensive options, and the manager is ready to offer Mathieu Debuchy as part of a deal to sign Evans.
After spending several years at Manchester United, including his footballing education days, Evans moved to West Brom and has since established himself as a top player in the Premier League. Despite being settled at the Hawthorns, Evans could be tempted by a new challenge and the lure of playing European football once again, which could come at Arsenal.
Arsenal’s defence has been leaky once again this season and Wenger the need to sign a central defender has accentuated in recent weeks. Among Arsenal’s current options, Nacho Monreal has been a standout, a consistent performer in a team that has shipped in goals that are so uncharacteristic of the Gunners.
Shkodran Mustafi has blown hot and cold, while Laurent Koscielny, whose long-term future at the Emirates is in doubt due to the lack of form and his age, has shown signs of slowing down owing to a peristent Achilles problem.
Arsenal’s other central defenders are Calum Chambers and Rob Holding, who are still getting to grips with the top-level football and are not deemed fit to replace the Frenchman in the short-term, thus making Evans a viable target.
The North Londoners’ interest in Evans is long-standing, and as recent as last summer, when West Brom rejected few offers for the Northern Ireland international. Wenger views Evans as the ideal replacement for Koscielny, albeit at least for the next few seasons, before Holding and Chambers are ready to take over.
Arsenal, however, faces intense competition from Manchester City for the signature of Evans, Pep Guardiola is in the market for a central defender as well and had tabled bids for the West Brom captain in the summer. However, the Premier League leaders are expected to be back in for the defender this month.
But, Arsenal are ready to offer a player plus cash deal involving Mathieu Debuchy to secure the services of Evans. Alternatively, it has also been reported that the Gunners could be close to signing the centre back in a £25 million in a straight cash deal.
The Arsenal player in question, Debuchy has endured a torrid time in North London. Since he signed from Newcastle, injuries and the emergence of Hector Bellerin has kept the France international completely out of the side. A loan spell in France failed to convince Wenger to keep faith and so the player is looking for a way out to revive his footballing career.
Arsenal and City both represent good options for a player who has entered his thirties and a failed move in this transfer window could represent as the last chance for the player, who would have ambitions to perform at an even higher stage.
In the next few weeks, Evans’ future would be clear as depending on concrete offers and West Brom’s stance on the player. The player has 18 months left on his current deal and is stalling on a new contract, and it remains to be seen if Arsenal’s Debuchy-inclusive offer finally helps them secure his services.
