Peter Henry
Northern Ireland manager believes Micheal O’Neill reckons West Brom centre-back Jonny Evans is good enough to play for a top six Premier League club.
Evans was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal or Manchester City during the January transfer window, but a move away from the Hawthorns never materialised.
The 30-year-old came through the ranks at Manchester United and he was so highly rated by the Old Trafford clubs legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, that the Scot let Barcelona defender Gerard Pique leave in order to aid his development.
However, Louis Van Gaal allowed Evans to leave United in the summer of 2015 to join West Brom, and although he struggled this season as the Baggies were relegated to the Championship, the talented Northern Ireland international is still regarded as top class defender.
Interestingly, Evans has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave the West Midlands club for a meagre £3 million after their relegation, and his manager at international level believes the 68 cap centre-back belongs at the top end of the Premier League.
“He’s certainly capable of that.
“He had a difficult second half of the season, but so did West Brom as a whole.
“Jonny has all the attributes to play in a top-six side, there’s no doubt about that. The price you can get him for is an absolute steal, given what people are buying players for nowadays.
“I expect to see Jonny move in the summer and get a fresh start, hopefully at a big club.