West Bromwich Albion could continue their association with defender Jonny Evans beyond the summer after he cited his ambition to stay put at the Hawthorns.
The Northern Irishman joined the Baggies from Manchester United in the summer of 2015 and has since been one of the most consistent performers under Tony Pulis.
Evans attracted transfer interest from Arsenal during the previous summer transfer window, but West Brom managed to fend off the Gunners interest after placing a hefty £25m price tag on his signature. Baggies boss Pulis recently admitted that the club could be in a fight to keep hold of their leading performer, but the player himself has dismissed the possibility of a big club move.
“It gives you confidence when the manager appreciates you. It shows his belief that you’ve done a good job and hope I can continue doing that for West Brom.” he told Sky Sports.
However, the former Red Devils graduate added that he would still prefer a move abroad in the future, and this is something keeping an eye on ahead of this summer’s transfer window, he said: “I’ve always been interested by football outside of Britain. It’s something I’ve always kept an eye on,”
Since arriving from Old Trafford, Evans has amassed 65 appearances across all competitions for the Baggies while providing the perfect support to Gareth McAuley at the heart of the defence. McAuley is currently approaching the final years of his professional career, and there is a sense West Brom will pursue a new centre-back in the transfer window.
Evans is currently with the Northern Ireland squad for the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on June 10, and a win would be crucial to his nation’s quest to qualify for next year’s World Cup. The country are currently on course to qualify for the playoffs as they stand behind German in the standings.