According to a recent report by the Express, Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to smash their transfer record and make a whopping £50m offer to secure the services of Michael Keane from Everton during the summer transfer period. The same source has also stated that Spurs will face stiff competition from Arsenal in pursuit of the Toffees defender at the end of this campaign.
The Manchester-born talent has established himself as a regular first-team starter under Marco Silva this season. He has put in a few commanding displays at the back for the Toffees during this campaign. However, it is also worth noting that he has struggled to find consistency with his performances on the pitch.
Keane has featured in 31 matches for Everton this term, scoring one goal while grabbing two assists in all competitions. More importantly, the 26-year-old has made an average of 1.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 5.6 clearances per match in the Premier League (Stats taken from Whoscored).
Even though the Everton defender has managed to earn Gareth Southgate’s trust and has secured seven international caps for England, yet there are still some question marks regarding his ability to perform well in high-profile matches.
At 26, Keane is currently playing at his prime so Spurs will be getting the best out of him if they can successfully bring him to White Hart Lane next summer. The English talent is an old-fashioned, no-nonsense defender who loves to clear his lines whenever put under pressure by the opposition attackers. However, he lacks the quality required to play the ball out from the back so Mauricio Pochettino might be better of opting for a new centre-back who will be comfortable while in possession of the ball.
The addition of Keane will undoubtedly bolster Pochettino’s defensive options at the North London club. Spurs currently have some talented centre-halves in their ranks such as Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Juan Foyth vying for a place in Pochettino’s starting XI. Hence, Keane won’t be guaranteed regular first-team opportunities if Tottenham decides to keep all of their current defensive options at the club beyond this summer.
However, Alderweireld’s long-term future at White Hart Lane is up in smokes with just over a year left to run in his current contract. So the Belgian’s possible departure could make space for the arrival of someone like Keane who can come in and try to fill Alderweireld’s shoes at North London. All in all, it would be a smart move for Spurs if they can acquire the services of Keane for the right price. However, he has not shown enough on the pitch to merit an asking price of £50m even in today’s inflated transfer market.
