West Brom manager Alan Pardew holds 'candid' talks with Jonny Evans over Manchester City and Arsenal interest as he sets deadline for transfer

• e-mail

Alan Pardew has held ‘candid’ talks with Jonny Evans over a prospective move to Manchester City or Arsenal and set a deadline of January 28 for any sale to go through.

The West Bromwich Albion manager does not want Evans to go without sufficient time for the money to be spent on bringing in attacking players as the club’s season reaches a ‘critical point’.

West Brom would reluctantly sanction a sale in the region of £35million in order for Pardew to sign new players to drastically improve the side’s scoring return. West Brom have only scored 16 goals this campaign and are on a run of 20 Premier League matches without a win.

Jonny Evans is not 'definitely' leaving West Brom despite Manchester City and Arsenal interest

Alan Pardew says any deal for the defender must be concluded by January 28 at the latest

Liverpool’s Danny Ings is a target and Pardew has told Evans, who is set to be in the team for today’s visit by Brighton, his exact plans. 

‘It would be inappropriate if I didn’t speak to him a little more candidly than I’m talking to you,’ Pardew told reporters. ‘We have a good respect for each other, looked each other in the eye and told each other the truth.

‘It’s not the case he is definitely going. This situation was running in the summer and he stayed. Yohan Cabaye was definitely, definitely going to Arsenal when I was at Newcastle. But he didn’t go.

‘I’ll put in a cut off date on any transfer. I would say three or four days before the window closes, depending on the business we have done.

‘We might be looking to do some business on the last day, if I feel it works for the club and is not harmful to us.’ Pardew admitted that pressure is high on West Brom, in 19th and four points off safety. 

‘I think we are at a critical point in the season,’ he said. ‘It is not lost on us as a group and a club. I don’t think if we lost this game that would mean we will get relegated, by any means. There are far too many games left for that. But it is a crucial game.’

Evans is being chased by Arsenal and Manchester City and is keen on a move this month