Arsenal and Leicester City have had bids worth at least £25 million for Jonny Evans rejected by West Bromwich Albion as Manchester City’s hopes of signing the Northern Ireland centre-half hang in the balance.

Evans is understood to be keen on a move to City but the Manchester club ideally need to offload Eliaquim Mangala before they can push ahead with a deal and the misfit France defender is wavering over a move to West Brom.

Pep Guardiola is desperate to bring in Evans as cover at centre-half but if City succeed in their efforts to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal before the close of the transfer window tomorrow night and fail to get Mangala off the wage bill it is not certain they will be able to conclude a £30 million deal for Evans.

Evans has been training at City’s CFA headquarters all week with Northern Ireland, who are due to fly to San Marino at 11am tomorrow ahead of their World Cup qualifier on Friday. As things stand, Evans is due to travel with the rest of his Northern Ireland team-mates, unless developments alter the picture.

City are still hoping to persuade Mangala to move to West Brom and, if that happens, they could seek to finalise a fee with the Midlands club for Evans and conduct a medical before he departs with Northern Ireland from Manchester Airport.