[kennethlindheim]

NEWCASTLE United are interested in stealing Jonny Evans from under Sunderland’s nose if he is made available for transfer this summer.

Kevin Keegan is in the market for defensive reinforcements and, while Manchester City skipper Richard Dunne, who has been made available for transfer in preparation for a new regime taking over at Eastlands, remains high on the manager’s preference list Evans has emerged as another serious summer target for United.

Having signed him on loan twice in the last two seasons Sunderland are also in the race to capture the highly-rated 20-year-old.

But The Journal understands that Newcastle have been paying close attention to his displays at the Stadium of Light and, after being handed several glowing reports of his progress, they are prepared to firm up their interest if Manchester United decide to sell Evans or make him available on loan once more.

The Northern Ireland international certainly fits the blueprint of the young, up-and-coming players that owner Mike Ashley wants the club to concentrate their recruitment efforts on – and with a value in the region of £7m he would not wipe out United’s transfer fund.

Dunne is another option for Newcastle, and was one of only a handful of players on the list of transfer targets that Keegan took to his initial meetings with Executive Director (Football) Dennis Wise.

But if Evans is made available either on loan or permanently Newcastle would be interested in a player who proved his Premier League pedigree during the Black Cats’ successful fight against the drop this season.

Loan star Jonny on United’s wish list - JournalLive