Manchester United 'open to signing Jonny Evans on permanent deal'

Manchester United may reportedly contemplate handing a permanent contract to defender Jonny Evans.

Earlier this summer, the Northern Ireland international departed Leicester City on a free transfer on the back of their relegation from the Premier League.

During his final two years at the King Power Stadium, Evans was restricted to just 31 appearances in the top flight, with 13 of them coming during their 2022-23 campaign.

Despite now being 35 years of age, Evans was always going to have several admirers in the market, albeit in divisions other than the Premier League with other clubs potentially being in a position to offer him regular football.

Nevertheless, earlier this month, it was revealed that former club Man United had offered the veteran a short-term deal in order for Evans to participate in their pre-season friendlies.

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Evans's first outing came as soon as Wednesday afternoon, playing the entirety of the second half as United recorded a 1-0 victory over Lyon in Scotland.

Despite helping United to a win on that occasion, Evans is not part of the senior travelling squad for the tour of the United States, with the player instead expected to feature in fixtures with the younger crop, starting with a game versus Wrexham.

However, according to ESPN, consideration may soon be given to Evans being provided with a permanent contract, presumably for just the 2023-24 season.

Head coach Erik ten Hag has allegedly been left impressed with how Evans has conducted himself and is willing to deliberate over a potential spot in his squad.

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Evans is no stranger to life at Old Trafford having made 198 appearances for the club between 2006 and 2015 after initially progressing through the academy system.

As many as 11 pieces of silverware were collected during Evans's previous time at United, including three Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy.

In total, Evans has 356 Premier League appearances to his name, chipping in with 14 goals and 14 assists, while 102 caps have been earned for his country.

Ten Hag currently has Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire as his central-defensive options, with the future of the latter remaining in doubt due to being stripped of the captaincy.