Mansfield Town 'about doubled their money' in Will Evans sale to 'persistent' Plymouth Argyle
Mansfield Town rejected previous offers from Plymouth Argyle before eventually agreeing to sell Will Evans.
The versatile forward is the latest player to leave the One Call Stadium after his move to the south coast last week.
Stags had tried to tie Evans down with a contract extension but the 29-year-old was keen to pursue a new challenge in his career. Argyle manager Tom Cleverley had been an admirer of the Welshman for some time and the club were ‘persistent’ with their efforts to strike a deal.
Mansfield Town played their first game of the 2026/27 season without Evans on Sunday, bowing out of the Carabao Cup following a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield United. Nigel Clough shed some light on Evans’ departure in his post-match press conference.
“We’d been talking to Will about a new deal for a few months and we couldn’t quite reach an agreement and get to what he wanted. We offered him the figure he wanted, Plymouth had been bidding for a few weeks and we’d turned offers down.
“Ultimately, he said he would like a fresh challenge and to go. So with nine months on his contract, we’ve about doubled our money.
“This is just a deal that happens in football all the time, and probably a good deal for the club. When a player wants to get away then it’s probably best to get the deal done.”
Plymouth Argyle paid Mansfield Town an undisclosed fee for Evans but reports prior to the official announcement suggested it was a £400,000 deal. Clough naturally remained tight-lipped over the money involved but reiterated that the Pilgrims had ongoing interest in bringing Evans to Home Park.
The boss did, however, confirm Stags are close to finalising a deal for a replacement signing.
“We’ve about agreed to bring a left wing-back in on loan for the season, which is good,” Clough said. “We think we’ve got enough striking options if they’re all fit, so it was really about someone along the left-hand side to share the load with Stephen McLaughlin.”