Bristol Rovers stance revealed as Portsmouth target Everton star

May 6, 2024 admin Bristol Rovers 0

In an effort to keep Pompey target Antony Evans at the Memorial Stadium, Bristol Rovers have offered him a new contract.

Gas manager Matt Taylor said this week that negotiations have taken place with the 25-year-old playmaker, who has one year left on his current contract. However, nothing has been decided upon, despite ongoing discussions throughout the season.

Understandably, Rovers are keen to protect their asset, with Evans finishing the 2023-24 season as their main attacking threat following 19 goal contributions that included 10 goals and nine assists. The former Everton trainee was also named player of the season as he racked up 52 games in all competitions and 3,386 minutes of league football – a figure that is notably more than any other Gas player this term.

 

However, the news that no deal has been reached will encourage Pompey, who are desperate to strengthen their attacking prowess in their first season back in the Championship.

The News knows that Evans is someone they believe can help the department. Indeed, since leaving German club Paderborn in August 2021, Evans has scored 26 goals and provided 24 assists. He also scored a fantastic free kick against the Blues in their Boxing Day loss at the MEM.

That excellence means Rovers, who ended 15th this season, want to take advantage of the midfielder’s improving stock, and a new contract offer is the best way to do so. It remains to be seen whether the player is willing to commit his long-term future to the club. That might be a stumbling block.

Speaking about Evans’ contract situation, Taylor told BBC Radio Bristol: ‘We’re talking about it now throughout the course of the season. Those discussions and offers have gone out so that’s happened.

‘We’re not naive enough to let a player who’s your best player go into the last year of the deal without even having a conversation. So, as with everything else football-related, I think we’ll learn a lot about each other in the next eight weeks.

‘We want Antony to be here. I think it’s important to say that he didn’t start the season in the team and that’s not my doing, he worked his way back into the team and has then been consistent and then to get all of those awards, it’s a bit like Chris Martin. Probably our two best and biggest performers didn’t start the season either at the club or in the team which is surreal to say.

‘Credit to them both for seeing through a difficult moment and then producing and that’s what football is. It’s about producing performances and, whether it’s Chris’ goals or Antony’s goals and assists, they’ve just been consistent in relation to that and we hope that that continues for a long time.’

Pompey concluded the 2023-24 season as League One’s fifth-highest goal scorers. However, in order to make the most of their return to English football’s second division, they will need to increase their attacking production in the Championship.

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