Everton are interested in signing Leicester City centre-back Jonny Evans in the summer transfer window, according to a video that has surfaced from the club's official training footage.
How much does Jonny Evans per week?
The 35-year-old has enjoyed an excellent career for both club and country, proving to be an unruffled presence at the heart of so many defences. Having started in the youth team at Manchester United, he ended up breaking into the first team there, making 198 appearances in the process, and winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League crown along the way.
Since then, the £100,000-a-week-earning Evans has played for West Brom and Leicester – he has also enjoyed loan spells elsewhere – but his contract with the latter expired at the end of last month and there still seems to be uncertainty over his future, in terms of whether he will sign an extension or not after the Foxes went down.
Everton are sniffing around for new signings, as they look to improve on a hugely disappointing league campaign of their own in 2022/23, with additions required to bolster both the starting lineup and the general depth within the squad, with a third relegation battle in a row something that isn't worth thinking about.
It looks as though Evans is a target for the Blues, in that respect, following a new update regarding the veteran centre-back's future.
Could Everton sign Jonny Evans?
As per @ITalkEverton on Twitter [via The Daily Mail], Everton could be set to make a move for Evans during the current transfer window, as the Toffees Twitter user shared a now-deleted clip from the club's pre-season training camp, in which an off-camera figure can be heard saying: "We've got Jonny Evans coming in."
Evans may now be 35 years of age and past his prime as a footballer, but there is still some sense in Everton making a move for him in the current transfer window, especially as Dyche is to be trusted when it comes to defensive signings, having made Burnley such a well-organised unit down the years.
The Northern Irishman is now a massively experienced footballer who has made 356 appearances in the Premier League and won 91 caps for his country, and he could come in as a direct replacement for Conor Coady, whose loan move to Goodison Park wasn't made permanent at the end of last season.
It would be wrong to expect Evans to come in as a regular starter, given his age, but he could act as a safe pair of hands when required, putting his defensive nous to good use. The fact that he would be available on a free transfer also makes it less of a risk, should the deal ultimately backfire.
The former United defender earned the praise of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2012, with the Scot saying, "Jonny's always had terrific ability and it's good to see he's in consistent form", while Keith Gillespie once described his compatriot as "absolutely unbelievable", which further highlights how highly he is thought of when he's fit and firing.
Everton need to be making more signings on top of Evans, with a younger centre-back also required, but the out-of-contract Northern Irishman could be a shrewd purchase on a short-term basis.
