Burnley: Clarets keeping tabs on Jonny Evans
The newly-promoted side are considering adding the experienced defender.
Burnley are considering a surprise swoop to snap up Jonny Evans on deal this summer, according to a report from Belfast Telegraph.
Are Burnley signing Jonny Evans?
The 35-year-old played for Leicester last season but could only manage 13 Premier League appearances in total, 12 of which were actual starts. With the Northern Irishman falling down the pecking order – and the Foxes falling down the divisions – they opted to release the defender at the expiry of his contract after five seasons of service at the King Power Stadium.
Evans though is not currently a free agent, with his former side Manchester United having snapped him up to a short-term agreement ahead of their pre-season tour. That arrangement though may not last into the actual campaign – although it isn’t entirely clear how long he is actually signed to Old Trafford for.
Should United decide to let him go after they have done their work ahead of 2023/24, then it appears there could be other suitors keen to snap him up. One such side is Burnley according to the Belfast Telegraph, with the Clarets now looking to ensure they are fully equipped to compete in the Premier League again after their promotion.
They haven’t made a bid for him yet but do appear to be fans of the experienced ace and may consider bringing him into their backline so that they have a knowledgable head in their squad who knows the division well.
How many games has Jonny Evans played?
There’s no questioning that Evans most certainly knows how the Premier League works and could provide invaluable knowledge to some of the younger members of the Burnley team if he was to join. He spent seven seasons with the Red Devils in total and racked up 131 top flight appearances for the club, winning the title on three separate occasions.
He also had over 100 outings for Leicester and can even call upon three season worth of experience with West Brom too. He knows what it takes to compete at the very top of the division then and has plenty of time spent scrapping near the bottom of the table too.
In total, his total gametime in the top tier stands at 356 appearances, 339 starts and 14 goals with 13 assists to boot.
Despite being 35-years-old now, Evans could certainly still offer plenty to the Burnley defence should he sign. His former teammate Wayne Rooney, who is now in management, has recently heaped the praise on the experienced pro, calling him “fantastic”.
He has bags of games under his belt, knows the league inside out and is clearly still highly regarded as an option at the back. Considering that he could also be available for nothing, it could be a smart bit of business from Vincent Kompany should he opt to add the centre-back, even if only on a short-term deal. That is though, if United decide to part ways with the centre-back rather than keep him for themselves next season.
