Michael Keane (Getty Images)
As per reports in the Spanish press (h/t Lancs Live), Barcelona are interested in signing Everton star Michael Keane in a bid to bolster their defence.
The report suggests that new Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, who bought Keane for £30m from Burnley during his time at Everton, is looking to take the England international on board ahead of the new season.
Born in England, Keane rose through the ranks of Manchester United’s youth system and won the U21 Premier League title in the 2012/13 season. However, he couldn’t make more than 5 appearances for the English giants and after several loan spells, he was sold to Burnley in January 2015.
He went on to make 108 appearances for the Clarets during his two and a half years with the club before joining Everton. Keane has established himself as a key member of the Toffees squad and has been consistent over the last few years.
His impressive performance also earned him a call-up to the English national squad and has been capped 10 times by England to date.
The Blaugrana have been inconsistent throughout the campaign; except for their star forward Lionel Messi. And of the main reasons for going trophyless, this season has been the lack of consistency at the back.
They were thrashed 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals and also finished 2nd in the La Liga standings. And it is clear that the club needs to make several changes.
At the moment, they have only three established centre-backs. Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique have been regular starters but their performance has been below par. World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti has fallen down the pecking as the Frenchman has never been the same since suffering a major injury.
Jean-Clair Todibo and Ronald Araujo are the other two central defenders but none has been used regularly. Thus, they need to bring in defensive reinforcements this summer and strengthen the backline.
In that regard, making a move for Keane seems to be sensible. The Englishman has been consistent in the last few years and has been a mainstay in the heart of Everton’s defence. He made 34 appearances in the 2019/20 campaign and could be a suitable option for the La Liga giants.
Moreover, he has already worked with Koeman during their time together at Everton and could be a useful addition to the squad. He has made over 300 career appearances and could be seen as the future of Barcelona’s defence if he is able to replicate the good form he has shown in recent times.
With Pique already 33 and reaching the twilight of his career, Barcelona are in dire need of leaders at the back. Keane has established himself in the Premier League and signing him would be a wise decision by the La Liga giants.
