West Brom keen to keep hold of Jonny Evans

Baggies boss Tony Pulis admitted the club would have to consider any offers for the Northern Irishman that were ‘an absolute fortune’. But he hopes no team tables a bid for the 29-year-old big enough to tempt Albion into selling.

Last summer, Arsenal expressed an interest in Evans and were believed to be lining up a £15million bid before they bought Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia.

Evans still has two years left on his current contract and the vice-captain is the shining star of Albion’s back-line.

“Being very pragmatic, if someone comes in and offers an absolute fortune we’d have to look at it,” admitted Pulis. “But we hope they don’t do that and we hope that Jonny stays.”

Pulis doesn’t want to lose his best centre-half with Gareth McAuley turning 38 in December and Craig Dawson currently deployed at right-back. Rather than selling his defenders, the Baggies boss is keen to bolster his back-line this summer.

He has previously been interested in John Terry, who is leaving Chelsea in the summer, and is monitoring the situation at former club Stoke where Ryan Shawcross is about to enter contract negotiations ahead of his final year.

But his long-term interest in Lewis Dunk has been dealt a blow by Brighton’s promotion into the Premier League, which means the 6ft 4in defender is unlikely to leave his home town club.

Pulis hopes clinging on to a top half finish will help Albion lure players to The Hawthorns this summer.

“Money is important without a question of a doubt,” he said. “You have to compete financially.

“But we’ve had a good season. The club has progressed on and off the pitch and you have to do that.

“Everything connected to the football club is stepping up a level.

“What we’ve got to do is try and get the players to help us step up again.

“Eighth in the league is an unbelievable position to be in. Where we are now is the top of our group. We can’t do any better than this year after year unless we get a billionaire in. We won’t be able to compete.

“Everton and the other top six clubs will spend massive this year. What we’ve got to do is get everybody to understand we are moving forward.”