Liverpool and Arsenal have reportedly joined Chelsea as potential suitors for former Manchester United defender Michael Keane.
Daily Star have claimed that Liverpool and Arsenal are interested in Burnley’s English centre-back Michael Keane. The 23-year-old, who received his maiden senior England call-up last week as a replacement for the injured Glen Johnson, now has potential suitors in Liverpool and Arsenal.
Michael Keane is a Manchester United academy product who moved to Burnley for a fee close to £1m and was instantly a hit with the Clarets. The 23-year-old was a pivotal part of the club’s promotion-winning campaign in the Championship.
Keane looks to have continued his form into the Premier League this season with solid performances up until now which saw him being named in the English senior squad for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. It is rumoured that this has caused a rise in Keane’s ambitions with the call-up making him wander about the possibility of moving to a bigger club.
The player’s current contract runs out in 2018 and the Clarets are desperate to agree a new deal with the player before the January transfer window opens but know very well that they would face a fight with so many top clubs vying for the centre-back’s signature.
Chelsea have been tracking the centre-back for a long time now and have been linked with a January move for the defender involving a fee of £25m but the interest from Liverpool and Arsenal is likely to make things difficult for Antonio Conte to add the 23-year-old to his defensive roster at Stamford Bridge.
Michael Keane was a part of the only back-line to have successfully kept Liverpool’s attackers at bay with the Reds failing to score a single goal against Burnley and Klopp is likely to welcome the addition of the defender to a squad which already boasts of a strong English core.
Arsenal are rumoured to be looking for a commanding centre-back as a long-term replacement for Per Mertesacker and Michael Keane would seemingly fit the bill while also being more agile and comfortable on the ball than the German international.
Michael Keane has done well to make it to the big stage after being sold by Manchester United, who would be ruing the decision to let go of the player for cheap without inserting a buy-back option or some other clause for the future.
Their academy ace now likely to join one of their long-term rival Premier League clubs as it looks like Manchester United’s loss could very well become their rivals’ gain, something that would not go down too well with the Red Devils faithfuls.
