Jonny Evans reacts to failed Manchester City transfer: “I’m happy”

Jonny Evans almost moved to Manchester City from West Bromwich Albion on Deadline Day, but the Blues were never able to sell Eliaquim Mangala to fund their £30 million bid to West Brom. Many fans raised their eyebrow at the move, and maybe it’s for the best that City didn’t sign an injury prone 29-year-old former Manchester United player.

But it must have been hard for Evans not to join City and miss out on the chance of fighting for the Premier League title and the Champions League, but Jonny was clear that the speculation didn’t affect him, and he only wants to keep working hard to be a better player. He’ll probably never leave West Brom, but he’s okay with that.

“I still think I can push on. That’s my aim, that’s my drive. The most important thing is I’m pleased none of this speculation has affected me. It’s made me more determined than ever to try to be a better player. I’m happy.

“I’m not at all interested in that [the limelight], or what people think of me to be honest. The most important thing for me is I push myself hard every day. I’ve got a long drive into training [at West Brom from home in Cheshire] so I think a lot about what I’m going to do that day, set it out and try to carry that out to the letter. Maybe it does raise your profile a bit but, as I said, it’s not something that interests me.

“I’ve been there before in transfer windows. You just deal with it as a footballer. Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of players with speculation and sometimes the press doesn’t always get hold of what goes on. A lot of players go through it. Mine was the fact that Man City made a bid a month or so ago. That heightened that speculation. That was out in the press. But leading up to the end of the window, I was calm about everything and I was just trying to get back to being fit, for wherever I ended up so I could be at the top of my game.

“I don’t make the decisions. I’m just sort of someone in the middle with two clubs after me. Man City first have to decide do they want you, or any club have to decide, and your own club have to decide do they sell you. It doesn’t matter what time it gets done in the window, whether it’s at the start or the end. You’ve just got to let those decisions be made by two different parties. You’ve got to then make your own decision and it never got to that stage.”

Source: The Telegraph

Good man, this Jonny Evans. It’s kind of a shame that he won’t play for City this season, but he’s a top professional and deserves the best. Good luck, Jonny!