Arsenal, Manchester City and any other suitors of West Brom defender Jonny Evans have been set a deadline in which to get a deal done.
The Northern Ireland international once again finds himself as a man in demand having previously seen out the summer transfer window in 2017 without leaving The Hawthorns.
It could be that a big-money move is made before the end of January, with talk of £27 million bids gathering pace.
West Brom have opened themselves up to offers, but Baggies boss Alan Pardew has refused to reveal his valuation of a sought-after 30-year-old and has warned that any late approaches for the defender will be given short shrift.
He told reporters when asked for an update on Evans’ situation: “We’ve had a couple of enquiries about what we’d be looking for.
“The answer has been: ‘We’re not going to tell you.’ Make a bid and we’ll get a gauge.
“We don’t really want to sell Jonny but he’s a target for other clubs and we might sell if the price is right. I think we’ve been realistic about the situation.”
Pardew added in an effort to spark interested parties into life: “If they ring up late Tuesday they’re probably not going to get the response they want.
“If they ring today, tomorrow, they’ll get a nicer response. That’s the way it is.
“Obviously the later you leave it the less chance you have of bringing someone in. When Andy Carroll went at Newcastle we had eight or nine hours to react - we couldn’t.
“Jonny is in his prime. Centre-halves are in their prime from 29-34, when they really know their game, and their fitness levels are strong.”
Evans has been with West Brom since the summer of 2015, with the Manchester United academy graduate taking the decision at that point to go in search of regular first-team football away from Old Trafford.