Major stumbling block for Arsenal in pursuit of defensive target

A £4million agent’s fee is providing a major stumbling block as Premier League side Leicester City try to tie up a deal for Jonny Evans, according to reports.

The West Brom defender is available for £3million after a release clause can be triggered now that the Baggies were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season.

The Daily Mail claims that the £4million agent’s fee will go to Evan’s representative Colin Murdock, who wants the payment for organising the deal.

The agent’s fee has put off both Arsenal and Manchester City with the Gunners understood to be looking at other options as a result of the revelation.

Leicester have been trying for three transfer windows to sign Evans but the fee would add an extra 133 per cent on to the £3million release clause.

The report continues by saying that Leicester only spent £9.9million on fees to intermediaries across six deals in the 2017-18 campaign.

Evans, 30, is understood to want wages of £100,000-per-week – not out the budget of the clubs interested – but would also like terms for at least three years.