Michael Keane’s emergence has been the sole reason for Burnley’s survival this season. Keane’s rise to prominence has helped them immensely as the Clarets have been the surprise performers in the league. But the England international only has a year left on his current contract and a number of clubs have already started knocking on the door.
Keane’s composedness and versatility have made him a sought-after target in the English league as defending is in his roots. He is not the kind of defender who makes unnecessary tackles. He would rather rely on his natural instincts to defend with what the situations demands, making him an attractive asset.
A number of clubs including the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with the player. He is expected to be the next, hottest property and given his current attributes, he might be the next John Terry or Rio Ferdinand for England. Here are three possible destinations for him this summer:
Manchester United
Jose Mourinho has earmarked Keane as one of his top targets in this summer transfer window. Keane came through the Manchester United academy but his failure to clinch a permanent position in the United defensive line forced him to a move to the Turf Moor in 2015. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have been good in patches but neither has shown the intent to thrive in the Premier League. Keane is a familiar face to most of the United players and his arrival to the club will also create a homely atmosphere for him. Mourinho can build his entire defensive setup around him as he also can be deployed as a backup for Antonio Valencia as well.
Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp has had his problems with his defence this season. The addition of Joel Matip has been good for the Reds but the problem has been regarding his partner in crime. Dejan Lovren was awful in the first half of the season but consolidated his position in the latter half. But being inconsistent has been one of his problems. He has made a number of significant errors which is not acceptable for a defender like him. The addition of Ragnar Klavan has not gone very well for the Reds as he doesn’t possess the skill and pace to thrive in the Premier League. Keane could be the man solving these problems at Anfield.
Southampton
Virgil Van Dijk is certain to depart from the St Mary’s as a number of clubs including Manchester United have been chasing the defender. This will open a lot of options as Claude Puel will be digging deep in the transfer market to find a player who can be an effective partner to Maya Yoshida. Keane is very well settled at the Turf Moor but the lure of playing in a top tier club could tempt him for a move to the St Marys.
