Burnley’s campaign this season has been nothing short of brilliant. Sean Dyche has done an outstanding job of bringing together a core of unknown players who are now fighting for a top-half finish. However, in doing so the club has exposed some real raw talents to the big fishes in the market whom the Clarets are incapable of holding onto, the following season.
One such player is their centre-half Michael Keane, who has been drawn huge attention from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Everton, Leicester City and more. Old Trafford legend Rio Ferdinand has even gone public urging Mourinho to bring the defender next summer. He was speaking on BBC Radio 5 when he stated the 24-year-old to be as good as Paul Pogba.
A Manchester United youth product, Keane left the Red Devils for Burnley on a permanent basis in January 2015 after failing to make an impression under Ferguson. And he has since established himself as a top centre-back for the side even impressing England manager Gareth Southgate.
Keane was in the United team which won the FA Youth Cup with Lingard and Pogba. Now, while Lingard is more of a first team player and Pogba returning back, Keane’s returning does not seem a distant deal. However, Keane looks really not interested in returning to Old Trafford and has even stated that he wanted to prove United wrong, which he did.
Here are 3 Alternatives Sean Dyche could opt for.
Virgil van Dijk
No matter which club manages to buy Keane, it will be a big money affair for sure and Dyche will have enough money in the bag to replace his star defender with an equally potent centre-half. And Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk is one such option.
With a tremendous recovery pace at the back, the Dutch enforcer is a beast of a defender. At 1.93cm, the centre-half could be a huge asset for any team and with his brilliant game reading abilities, van Dijk is an ideal player to protect your goal.
Tosin Adarabioyo
The Manchester City academy star has already started garnering praises for his impressive displays at the lower level competitions. With a good technic at his feet, the 19-year-old has the ability to put in some brilliant balls up front from the deep.
He is tall, he is quick and like van Dijk, he can read the game brilliantly. Another huge advantage, he would cost less, which means Dyche could add another player with Keane’s selling price.
Jamaat Lascelles
The former Nottingham Forest ace joined Newcastle United back in 2014 and has been chiseled well by former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez. The English defender is one of the big reasons Newcastle United are sitting in the Championship summit.
His partnership with Ciaran Clark has attracted numerous suitors with Chelsea and Liverpool in the list. The 189m tall defender seems like a perfect candidate for the English top flight football.
