West Brom wait on second Manchester City bid for Jonny Evans

The Baggies rejected an opening £18million bid for the Northern Irishman just under two weeks ago but reports from Manchester suggested Pep Guardiola was readying a second bid north of £20m to test the club’s resolve.

However, Albion – who value Evans around £30m – are yet to be contacted with another offer from City.

Evans has missed the opening three games of the season with a hamstring problem but the 29-year-old has been named in Northern Ireland’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers that start next week.

“I don’t want to comment too much on Jonny’s fitness because it’s between him and his club at the moment,” said Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill. “In conversations (I’ve had) with Jonny, he’s optimistic he’s going to be fit to play. We have to see what happens at the weekend.”

Albion face Stoke City at The Hawthorns this Sunday, and Pulis said: “We’ll see how he is Sunday and if he’s fit he’ll play for us.”

But Evans’s future will be resolved by the time Northern Ireland play San Marino on Friday, September 1.

And O’Neill has no doubts the defender is good enough to play for Guardiola’s title-chasing City team.

“I believe Jonny is a player that can play at the top end of the Premier League,” he said. “That’s not being disrespectful to West Bromwich Albion; they’ve been great for him in the two years he’s been there.

“He’s played previously for nine years at the biggest club in the world so I think if the opportunity is there and it comes to fruition he would be a very good signing for Manchester City.

“At this minute in time it’s not for me, it’s between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City.”

Gareth McAuley has not been named in the Northern Ireland squad because of his ongoing thigh problem, although Chris Brunt does feature.

O'Neill's team are currently second in Group C. They travel to San Marino next Friday and then face the Czech Republic in Belfast the following Monday.

They are currently four points clear of Czech Republic and can guarantee a second-placed finish in this double header if results go their way.