Michael Keane responded to the rumours of him leaving Everton for £50m this summer, saying he doesn’t think about all the speculation. The 26-year-old was linked with a move to Arsenal and Tottenham, but it was always unlikely the London duo would pay so much for the central defender.
The Blues paid around £30m to sign Keane from Burnley in 2017 and he’s gone on to make 69 appearances in all competitions. He’s a regular in the Premier League and has made seven caps for the England national team which is likely why his valuation has inflated.
It’s unknown if Everton would even accept £50m, but Keane isn’t paying much attention to the transfer talk. As per the Daily Star, he said: “It’s just something you don’t really think about to be honest. I didn’t really think about it when I was at Burnley.
“You just have to focus on whoever you are playing for and giving your best every day in every game. That’s what I’ve always done and what I will always do. I can only express how happy I am at Everton now and how great the fans have been with me – especially this year – and everyone at the club.
“I’m really happy here and I don’t let things like that turn my head. I think if you let things like that affect you, there will be a lot of games you’re going into where you wouldn’t feel 100 per cent. You just have to learn to put them at the back of your mind and be able to focus on the game no matter what.”
This season, Keane has made 29 Premier League appearances, scoring one goal and making two assists. He’s made 162 clearances, won 163 aerial duels (62%), blocked 18 shots, averaged 48 passes-per-game with 80% accuracy and averages a tackle (36) or interception (42) every 33 minutes.
After struggling in his debut season at Goodison Park, Keane is finally showing why Everton paid so much to procure his signature. He’s been rewarded for his form with a number of England appearances and only has his focus on doing well with Everton.
Crippy Cooke’s previous article
Explained: Clubs may have to pay £50m and £5.2m wages to sign Everton man