FOOTBALL: West Brom could cash in on Jonny Evans

The Baggies rejected bids from Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City for Evans in the summer and are braced for more interest during next month’s transfer window.

Albion captain Evans has 18-months left on his current contract after joining from Manchester United for a fee rising to £8million in 2015 and has been linked with a return to Old Trafford.

The Baggies were looking for over £30million for the centre-back in the summer and may be tempted to sell if they cannot convince Evans to extend his stay, it is understood.

In an ideal world new boss Alan Pardew wants to keep the 29-year-old but conceded they needed to be pragmatic.

Pardew said: “I think you have to be realistic in these situations. Jonny is a top player, other clubs were interested in him in the summer. We know that and he knows that, we have to be intelligent and straightforward dealing with it.

“He is under contract for West Brom. He knows he can have those conversations (about a new deal) with us. We will give him the deal we can possibly go to on the financial side and length of contract, but that might not be the whole thing with Jonny.”

Evans is yet to win a club game this season, with his last victory for the Baggies coming against Arsenal on March 18.

Albion are on a club record 17-game winless run in all competitions which cost former boss Tony Pulis his job in November.

Pardew replaced him and is yet to win in four matches and has told the players, given their position in the table, they cannot have a Christmas bash.

The Baggies did host a squad Christmas lunch at the training ground on Thursday but Pardew is against the idea of a party.

“I said to the players when I arrived I don’t think Christmas parties are appropriate in the position we’re in. So the staff haven’t had a party and the players haven’t had a party,” he said.

“But we can still have a Christmas lunch and that’s what we’ve done. The chef did a great job. Sometimes when you’re looking for a team to come out of its shell a little bit you can’t have constant pressure.

“It’s a side of the game that some players have struggled with. We’re not trying to be flippant, it was just a nice moment for them to come together and have a meal together.”