Leicester ready to start transfer battle with Manchester City and Arsenal with fresh bid for West Brom's Jonny Evans

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Leicester City are ready to spark another transfer scramble for Jonny Evans after reviving their interest in the West Bromwich Albion centre-back.

Leicester, Manchester City and Arsenal all had bids of up to £25million rejected by West Brom last summer, but the 30-year-old Northern Ireland international looks almost certain to leave The Hawthorns in this transfer window.

Evans is understood to favour a move to City, which would mean he could keep his young family in the north west.

Leicester City will spark a bidding war with a renewed bid for West Brom defender Jonny Evans

However, despite talks between West Brom and City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain, the Premier League leaders have yet to make their move with 13 days to go until the window closes.

Evans would also be open to a move to Arsenal even though it would mean having to uproot to London.

The Gunners have been preoccupied this week with negotiating Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s move to the Emirates as part of the deal to sell Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United, but interest in Evans is expected to intensify in the coming days.

The defender is wanted by Manchester City and Arsenal, but prefers a move to the Etihad

West Brom are ready to sell Evans for £25m in order to finance a deal for a new striker

That is likely to leave Leicester in third place in the queue for the former Manchester United defender, but they have ambitions to break back into the top-six and believe Evans is the calibre of player who can help them achieve that aim.

West Brom have lined up 6ft 4in Egypt international Ali Gabr as a replacement, initially on loan from Zamalek, as they look to sell Evans to finance a £25m-plus deal for a new striker.

It’s understood that Liverpool duo Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings, Watford’s Troy Deeney and Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic have all been discussed.