5 reasons why Arsenal want to sign West Bromich Albion centre-back Jonny Evans
The Northern Ireland international is being chased by Arsenal and Manchester City in the January transfer window
Sponsored by
IF Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was keen on West Brom captain Jonny Evans before the weekend, Sunday’s humiliating FA Cup defeat to Championship strugglers Nottingham Forest will only have ramped up his interest.
The Baggies defender is a surprise Manchester City and Arsenal transfer target this month. City were believed to be in negotiations to sign the 30-year-old in the summer transfer window but a deal never materialised.
But with Forest showing up Arsenal’s woeful defensive inadequacies once more at the City Ground, Wenger will be desperate to bolster his backline before the transfer window shuts.
With that in mind, we asked our friends at Football Whispers to examine exactly why the Gunners have made Evans their top target this month.
1. They’re short at centre-back
It’s a position which has caused Wenger numerous headaches in recent seasons and those issues show no sign of ending.
The Frenchman even played Valencia transfer target Francis Coquelin at centre-back in the defeat at Manchester City in November – despite being a midfielder.
Veteran centre-half Per Mertesacker will retire this summer to take up a role in the club’s academy while Laurent Koscielny, at 32, has fitness problems and cannot be relied upon much longer.
Shkodran Mustafi very nearly left on loan for Internazionale in the summer, just a year after a £35m move from Valencia. The move broke down but the German could be on his way again this summer.
Youngsters Rob Holding and Calum Chambers, meanwhile, have not shown they can step up to be regular members of Arsenal’s backline in the long term.
To that end, an experienced, Premier League-proven centre-back like Evans is what Arsenal are crying out for.
2. They've got no competent left-sided centre-back
Wenger had never played with a back three until the end of last season when, with Arsenal’s top four hopes hanging in the balance, he suddenly kicked the habit of 21 years and changed to 3-4-2-1.
The improvement was immediate and, although they missed out on Champions League football, the Gunners won the FA Cup for the third time in four years.
Arsenal have stuck with a three-man defence this season but they lack a natural left-sided centre-half with left-back Nacho Monreal filling in.
Evans, though right footed, has spent much of his career playing on the left side of defence and could comfortably play anywhere in their back three.
3. He knows the Premier League
Buying Premier League players incurs an expensive premium – look at the £142m Barcelona paid Liverpool for Philippe Coutinho.
However, there is one upside to signing from a top-flight rival. Unlike Mustafi, who flattered to deceive following his move from Spain, Evans will be able to slot straight in at Arsenal with minimal fuss having spent his his entire career – bar a brief loan spell at Royal Antwerp – in England.
There will be no settling in period off the field and he won’t have to get to grips with the fast-paced and physical nature of the game. That alone is worth the extra few million the Gunners will be asked to pay.
4. He does the basics well
Reports that Evans was an Arsenal and Manchester City transfer target appeared to come out of the blue and caught many by surprise. But there are two clear reasons why.
Firstly, Evans left Manchester United in 2015. Leaving a top-four club is usually seen as the beginning of the end and joining an unfashionable outfit like West Brom only furthered that perception.
Also the Ulsterman is seen as a rugged, almost old-school, centre-half. But that is no bad thing. Arsenal have lacked players – defenders especially – who can do the basics well and aren’t afraid of getting stuck in.
Evans fits the bill perfectly. It has been a dire season for the Baggies – who are winless in the Premier League since August – and Evans’ numbers have suffered. But last season he averaged 1.2 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and blocked 0.6 shots per game.
Those figures ensured that of all the centre-halves to play a minimum of 20 Premier League games last season, he was in the top 20 for each category.
5. Arsenal need leaders
One of the most common criticisms levelled at the Gunners is the lack of leadership within the squad. From the glory days of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Ray Parlour, there is a dearth of authoritative figures in the current side.
While Evans isn’t a blood-and-guts leader in the mould of the iconic Adams, it is no coincidence he has been captain at West Brom since Darren Fletcher’s summer departure. He is well respected and knows how to win from his time at Manchester United, too.
On top of that he is a stalwart for Northern Ireland and his no-nonsense brand of leadership is just what Arsenal need, badly.
