Friday 8 September 2017 10:41, UK
West Brom manager Tony Pulis admits he is delighted the club held onto Jonny Evans but revealed the centre-back may have gone if a bigger offer had been received.
Manchester City and Arsenal both had bids rejected for the experienced Northern Ireland international during the transfer window, with Pulis now hoping he can get Evans to commit to the Baggies long-term.
But Pulis is convinced the transfer talk won't have affected Evans, who played a key role in Northern Ireland's back-to-back victories in their World Cup European Qualifiers.
"It was very important [to keep him]," Pulis said ahead of the Baggies' trip to Brighton on Saturday.
"The bottom line with Jonny Evans - Arsenal were interested and Manchester City were interested - is they never met the value the football club wanted.
"If they had met a value it might have been a different situation.
"I'm pleased, obviously, that Jonny stayed. He has got to knuckle down now, get back in the team, and start showing everybody what a good player he is again. He is a very down to earth lad, very level-headed.
"He has been at one of the great clubs in world football [Manchester United] for a long time, so going to Manchester City or Arsenal wouldn't have fazed him at all and I don't think the speculation fazed him.
"I hope we can offer him a new contract and tie him down, we will speak next week about what Jonny is thinking and what he wants to do."
Pulis declared himself pleased with the business he managed to do in the transfer window, describing Kieran Gibbs as "a Rolls-Royce type of player", although he admitted Gibbs and Grzegorz Krychowiak may not be ready to go straight into the matchday squad.
"He [Krychowiak] is a top player but nowhere near the level he wants to be at the moment," added Pulis.
"Kieran Gibbs is the same because they haven't played much football.
"They are different types - Gibbs is a Rolls-Royce type of player. He has fantastic pace and ability. He will be a player, I am sure, that the players will like a lot.
"Gregorz is a little bit more rugged but technically very good as well.
"I need to speak to the medical people about them, just on the basis of where they are at the moment [whether] to throw them straight into a Premier League squad, whether that's the right thing to do or not."
The Premier League returns this weekend after the international break, beginning with Manchester City v Liverpool on Saturday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League at 11:30am.
