Tony Pulis weighs up whether to plump for Kevin Wimmer or Mamadou Sakho

Interest in Jonny Evans from Manchester City has opened up the possibility of recuperating enough cash to fund a £30m purchase of Mahmadou Sakho from Liverpool.

Pulis is a huge fan of Sakho, who shone at Crystal Palace last season, although the Baggies are reliant on City matching their own £30m valuation of Evans first to fund that deal.

The Baggies boss is also aware he needs to make additions elsewhere in the squad and that 24-year-old Wimmer is available for half the price.

The Austrian's arrival is not dependent on Evans leaving, like Sakho's would be, and Pulis's search for a young centre-back this summer has been a separate project.

Albion have won their opening two games of the season 1-0, but Pulis, who named four teenagers in his squad on Saturday, said that shouldn't distract from the need for additions.

"I think it shows the determination within the group," he said. "They are a very good group of players who have worked hard all pre-season, and we do a really hard pre-season.

"Now we need to bring that little bit of quality in to give everyone a lift."

Evans missed Saturday's 1-0 win over Burnley with a niggling hamstring problem and remained at the training ground to undergo rehabilitation.

His team-mates are unsurprised their skipper is attraction attention from Pep Guardiola's team, although they want him to stay at The Hahwthorns.

"Jonny's a top player and we all hope he stays," said Matt Phillips. "He's our captain as well. Obviously he's out injured at the moment but hopefully he'll be back soon."

Chris Brunt, who has played alongside Evans with Northern Ireland as well, said: "He's a great player, I know him better than most of the lads at the club.

"Naturally teams are interested in good players. His experience plays a big part in that as well.

"It's between Jonny and the club, there's not an awful lot anyone can do about it, let's just see how it plays out.

"I'm sure whatever the outcome is everyone will move on, football's one of those games, you've got to move on quickly.

"Hopefully it will all die down, that's the way the transfer window is at the minute, there's not an awful lot we can do about it."

Even though Pulis wants a new centre-back and his first-choice pair from last season are both currently injured, Albion have kept two clean sheets in the opening two games, and the partnership between Craig Dawson and loanee Ahmed Hegazi is blossoming.

"Hegazi was fantastic," said Pulis, after the win at Turf Moor. "Him and Dawson were exceptional, as was the whole back four. But there were a lot more other players that did well."

One of those was new signing Gareth Barry, who grew into the game after a shaky first half and was superb in the second period.

"The harder the game got, the better he became," said Pulis. "That's Gareth's first 90 minutes for a long time, he said he was expecting to be brought off after 60 minutes."