As Everton continue to fend off a potential relegation battle, one of Sean Dyche’s defenders could be on his way out of the exit door in 2025 amid reported interest from the Italian Serie A.
Everton transfer news
With new ownership on the way in the form of The Friedkin Group, Everton’s first task should simply be to avoid relegation before they can kick on with fresh investment and a new stadium to match.
As things stand, Dyche’s side are on course to do exactly that, having swept Wolverhampton Wanderers aside in midweek, only to be denied the chance to continue their momentum in the Merseyside derby this weekend thanks to Storm Darragh.
In many ways, this season will be about getting over the line before the beginning of a new era potentially signals great change, including in the technical area. Several reports in recent months have suggested that Dyche is not the man that Friedkin want at the helm, with the likes of Sergio Conceicao already linked to the Merseyside club.
The former Porto boss would certainly match the ambitions of the Toffees, but as he potentially arrives, one defender looks set to be heading for the exit door. According to the i, Michael Keane is now at the centre of interest from the Serie A and looks destined to depart Goodison Park either in the January transfer window or when his current contract comes to an end in the summer.
There is no mention of which Serie A clubs are interested, nor how many, but the reported interest would surely force Everton into a key decision as Keane’s contract ticks down.
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Keane is an interesting case. Whilst many may have written him off and shown him the door last season, he has enjoyed a revived period of form in the current campaign to create a battle for minutes against the ever-impressive Jarrad Branthwaite.
Everton should allow "calm" Keane to leave
Rejuvenated or not, the summer transfer window represents the right time for Everton and Keane to part ways. The 31-year-old centre-back is not the long-term partner for James Tarkowski, with Branthwaite likely to emerge in that role on a consistent basis once again in the coming months, and arguably isn’t a player who represents the ambitions of the incoming owners.
Earning a reported £80,000 a week, too, Everton have the chance to free up some space on their wage bill whilst handing the likes of Jake O’Brien the opportunity that he’s been desperately waiting for since arriving in the summer transfer window.
The former Burnley defender will at least be able to bow out following a solid campaign if his current spell does continue, during which Dyche has been full of praise for his exploits in the opposition’s box.
The Everton manager told reporters as relayed by BBC Sport in November: “We threw him on up front a few times, not last season but the season before, just to try to disturb the game a little bit.
“If it lands in the box, he’s as calm a finisher as I’ve seen and he enjoys scoring. He doesn’t look nervous in front of goal – he just looks as calm as you like, as calm as the person he often is.”