Leicester City’s fairytale came to an end last season as they withered aimlessly in the lower half of the league table under the tutelage of Claudio Ranieri for a major chunk of the 2016-17 Premier League season. It has been perennially difficult for the English top flight’s defending champions to maintain the same level of consistency during their title defence, and the Foxes couldn’t beg to differ.
However, after Ranieri was sacked, Craig Shakespeare marshalled the troops in a shrewd manner and kept getting decent results under his belt and eventually, his side finished 12th in the league table. One of the prime reasons for their dramatic downfall last season was owing to the failure of their defenders to keep things neat and tight at the back. Despite making some decent signings this summer, their defence is yet to be sorted completely.
One of the players who has been linked with a move to the King Power Stadium throughout the summer is West Bromwich Albion’s versatile defender in the form of Jonny Evans. The Baggies had reportedly rejected Leicester City’s £10million bid this summer to lure Evans, but it was rejected by Albion.
In fact, in order to keep Evans in his ranks, Tony Pulis has handed him the captaincy. Further, Evans has stated of late that he is very satisfied at the Hawthorns and is not hell bent on leaving the club in the ongoing summer transfer window.
In a scenario like this, the former league champions must attempt to tempt the stubbornness of the Baggies by offering them an enhanced bid to get their target. The Republic of Ireland international is a proven Premier League veteran who was in the books of Manchester United for almost a decade after making his way to the senior side of the red Devils from their youth academy.
The experience he has under his belt is notable and the versatility of being able to ply his trade as a left-back as well as a centre-back makes him an appealing commodity.
The 29-year-old has been a resilient pillar for West Bromwich Albion ever since making a move in the summer transfer window of 2015. Evans holds the ball really well at the back, is an excellent reader of the game and makes shrewd tackles and interceptions time and again. After signing Harry Maguire from Hull City earlier this summer, Shakespeare is keen to add another centre-back, and Evans should definitely be the one they should strive to sign.
