Manchester City turn attentions to Jonny Evans and Inigo Martinez after Liverpool beat them to Virgil van Dijk
West Brom rejected a £21m bid from City for Evans in the summer
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester City will turn their attentions to West Bromwich Albion captain Jonny Evans and Inigo Martinez, the Real Sociedad defender, having been beaten to the signing of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool FC.
Van Dijk became the most expensive defender of all-time on Wednesday when he completed a £75m move to Anfield, despite interest from Pep Guardiola’s runaway Premier League leaders.
Later that same day, City’s need for more options in central defence was made clear when Vincent Kompany aggravated his long-standing calf problems in a 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
Though the injury is not as bad as first feared, it left Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala as Guardiola’s only fully fit senior centre-halves.
John Stones, who has not played since picking up a hamstring injury in November, only returned to full training earlier this week.
City will look to add some much-needed depth to the position in the January transfer window and may revive interest in 29-year-old Evans.
West Brom rejected a £21m bid from City for the Northern Ireland international during the final days of the summer transfer window.
The former Manchester United defender, whose contract at the Hawthorns expires at the end of next season, remains a subject of interest four months on, though City are also closely monitoring Sociedad’s Martinez.
The 26-year-old Spaniard has a release clause in his contract believed to be worth €32m (£28.4m).
Guardiola has previously suggested that City will try to sign defensive cover this January, though he insisted the club would only move for the right player and no signings would be made on a short-term basis.
“It's not taking a guy for just three months, four months, it's for the next years,” Guardiola said earlier this month. “We have to sure the guy is the right guy to help us. If it doesn't happen, we are not going to go to the market.”
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