Hot on the heels of the signing of Spanish forward Sandro Ramirez, Everton announced the arrival of Burnley defender Michael Keane for a fee that could rise to a club-record equalling £30 million.
The 24-year-old put pen to paper on a five-year contract, and becomes the Toffees’ sixth summer signing, along with Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Nathangelo Markelo, Sandro and Henry Onyekuru, although the latter will spend the 2017/18 season on loan at Anderlecht.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Everton manager Ronald Koeman revealed his high hopes for the England international:
“Michael was high among the players we wanted to bring to Everton this summer, and I’m delighted he is here at the club… I believe there is much more to come from Michael and that’s what makes his signing really exciting for me – we will see his development as a player along with the progression overall… It’s another really positive sign of the direction the club is moving in. He’s 24 years old, his best years are to come, he’s an England international, too, and I couldn’t be more pleased that he’s now a Blue.”
The History
Born in Stockport, Keane began his youth career at Manchester United, and made his professional debut as a substitute in a League Cup tie against Aldershot Town in October 2011.
He was handed a first start in the same competition a year later against Newcastle United, and also started in the next round against Chelsea, before being sent out on loan to Championship side Leicester City.
Keane made 22 appearances for the Foxes, scoring twice, before taking in further loan spells at Derby County and Blackburn Rovers in the second tier, with his spell at Ewood Park yielding three goals from 13 matches.
The defender then joined Burnley on loan for the first half of the 2014/15 Premier League campaign, and joined the Clarets on a permanent basis in January 2015 for an undisclosed fee.
He made 21 appearances during that season, but couldn’t prevent Sean Dyche’s side from avoiding relegation to the Championship.
Keane stayed at Turf Moor, though, and was a key figure in their title-winning season in 2015/16, registering five goals and three assists in 44 appearances, while also being named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.
Last season, Keane once again starred for the Clarets as they maintained their top-flight status, producing two goals and one assist in 35 matches. He was also among the six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Having represented the Republic of Ireland at U17 and U19 levels, Keane switched his allegiance to England, featuring 24 times at U19, U20 and U21 levels, before making his senior debut in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Germany in March on the back of his impressive club form.
The Prospects
After winning many admirers last season, leading to speculation surrounding a potential move to former side United, Chelsea or Liverpool, Keane’s signature represents something of a coup for the Toffees.
The 24-year-old, whose strengths include his calmness in possession and his ability to win aerial duels, should provide a major boost to the Everton rearguard, which has already been bolstered by the addition of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Koeman’s side kept a pretty impressive 13 clean sheets last season, conceding 44 goals – a number only bettered by five teams.
Ashley Williams was the mainstay in defence, making 35 starts, while Phil Jagielka (25 starts) and Ramiro Funes Mori (16 starts) job shared as the preferred partner to the Welsh international
It’s likely that Keane will partner Williams in central defence if Koeman opts for a four-man backline, although he experimented with a three-man defence on occasion.
Looking at the underlying statistics from last season, Keane’s potential impact at both ends of the pitch is obvious.
He claimed fourth overall for Clearances, Blocks and Interceptions (CBI), with a total of 378 just behind Williams (382) in third spot.
The Toffees’ new boy was number one for successful aerial duels in 2016/17 – a tally of 149 was well ahead of Everton’s best defender Jagielka, with 88. His 65.6% aerial success rate was als higher than any Toffees defender and up markedly on Williams’ 57%.
Ranked third for touches in the box (65) among FPL defenders, Keane registered 22 attempts from inside the opposition area – just three shy of Marcos Alonso at the summit.
Last season, Williams and Jagielka came in at 5.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), while full-backs Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines came in at 5.5. Keane’s goal threat could mean he comes in at 5.5 this time around, yet his potential for points at both ends of the pitch could persuade many to earmark him as their weapon of choice in Koeman’s backline.
Should Romelu Lukaku depart Goodison Park this summer, Baines could be in the mix to take penalties, potentially boosting his appeal, although new boy Klaassen is also expected to come into consideration, having scored five of his seven spot-kicks for Ajax last term.
That situation will require monitoring during pre-season, then, along with the issue of who will start at right-back in the absence of the injured Coleman, with Mason Holgate or Jonjoe Kenny potentially providing a cut-price route should Koeman fail to recruit in that position.
But in any case, Everton’s brutal opening schedule (STO, mci, che, TOT, mun) means that there is likely to be little appetite to invest in their Fantasy assets in our initial squads.
The addition of Keane looks a significant coup for Everton, and with Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin in central midfield, there looks real potential for the Toffees to improve on the 13 shut-outs recorded last season.
Those opening fixtures should provide us with the information as to who will emerge as the go-to option, with the impressive Keane expected to be jostling for attention at the front of the queue.
