Ten Hag makes Evans decision
Jacque Talbot
- 31 Aug 2023 10:35 BST
- 3 min read
Erik ten Hag wants to keep Jonny Evans as a reserve central defender, according to reports.
The veteran has been training with Manchester United ahead of the new season after becoming a free agent.
FootballTransfers reported that there were talks between the player and club over signing a one-year deal, but no decision - or agreement - was made. Now it appears as though the side are leaning toward bringing one of their former players into the setup ahead of the new campaign.
MEN reports that Ten Hag is now hoping to keep Evans for this season as a backup, with Raphael Varane’s injury record being of concern.
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Evans joined Man Utd initially in 2006 and went on to play 198 games for the club, scoring seven goals. He departed to West Brom in 2015 before making the move to Leicester, where he enjoyed five campaigns.
The 35-year-old is rich in Premier League experience, something which will be appealing to Ten Hag.
The club have brought in Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund this window, but they have been unable to shift on some of the players their coach wanted to see gone.
READ MORE: Which teams have earned the most from sales this summer?
Amrabat remains a target
As a result, they have not been able to land all their targets. The club are trying to secure the signing of Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina, but the club rejected their initial loan offer.
Talks continue, we are told, and there is a willingness on all ends to get a deal done, but there needs to be a middle ground in terms of the deal’s structure. Amrabat is Ten Hag’s main target, as revealed by FootballTransfers early July. But the club have waited a long time to make their move.
