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Everton gear up summer swoop for left-footed enforcer, £100,000-a-week deal rejected - reports
Everton are ready to raid Premier League rivals West Brom for centre-back Jonny Evans in the summer, according to a report
The Mirror claims that West Ham and Leicester are also gearing up summer swoops for Evans, 30, especially as he may be available for the cut-price fee of just £3million due to a relegation clause in his contract.
It is understood that Albion valued Evans at £25million in the January transfer window in light of interest from Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Daily Mail reported in February that the left-footed enforcer rejected a new deal worth £100,000-a-week at The Hawthorns which would have likely got rid of the release clause.
But now it is said that teams are queuing up to pick apart West Brom, with their relegation from the Premier League looking more inevitable by the week.
Evans was one of four senior Baggies players involved in allegedly stealing a taxi in Barcelona last month.
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Alan Pardew stripped him of his captaincy for one game but has shown no signs that the Northern Ireland international will be axed from the first-team.
He has made 26 appearances in all competitions this season and scored two goals.
Football Insider verdict
Everton would be very lucky to sign up Evans but if Arsenal or Man City want to revisit their interest in him in the summer than it’s likely that the former Manchester United star will take what would likely be his final chance to get European football. Albion are very likely to suffer the drop meaning that Evans has every chance of being available at £3million. It seems that he may have rejected that big money deal at The Hawthorns – which would have made him their highest paid permanent player – so that the relegation release clause would stay in his contract. After his behaviour in Barcelona, it seems that West Brom fans won’t be too bothered to see him go.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting contract talks with this rapid centre-forward who could be on the move in the summer.
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