Tony Pulis admits West Brom will sell Jonny Evans if Manchester City table an “enormous” offer.
Title favourites City are considering an improved £22million bid for Evans after West Brom rejected their £18million offer and manager Pulis believes they will have to go higher than that.
Although the Baggies boss is keen not to lose his captain, he admits everyone has their price.
“Everybody’s got their value and their need and our need is for Jonny to stay,” said Pulis. “If we don’t keep Jonny and they blow us out of the water, the responsibility for us is to find someone to take Jonny’s place.
“That’s not going to be easy, so it can’t come as an easy come, easy go transfer.
“It’s absolutely crazy to say that a team like West Brom won’t sell players if people are going to put an enormous amount of money in front of you - it’s market forces.
“Firstly, we don’t want to sell him, or need to sell him, we are not desperate to get the money in, so it would have to be a very, very good offer.”
Evans will miss Saturday’s match at Burnley with a hamstring injury, and Pulis is confident he will not agitate for a move.
“He had a chance to go to Arsenal last year,” said Pulis. “Leicester did last year too and have again this summer and it hasn’t affected him any way, shape or form.”
City are adamant they will not be held to ransom by West Brom and Evans is one of a number of centre-half targets they have identified.
The Blues have looked at Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson and want a player with Premier League experience to cover for Vincent Kompany and John Stones.
Boss Pep Guardiola was reticent about Evans, but insisted he would not be disappointed if he did not land another centre-back.
“He’s a player for West Brom,” he said. “It’s still the same, Tony was clear, nothing has changed.
“We try to have the best squad possible for the long season. We’re going to see how the market finishes. If we have to stay with the players we have right now, then we’ll be happy. If someone comes, then we’ll be happy too.
“I know how well the club works since I’ve been here. We try to do our best, sometimes it’s possible, sometimes not.”