Burnley lost Michael Keane to Everton for £30m this summer – and didn’t even feel the need to replace the England international.
After weeks of speculation, Everton were understandably delighted to secure the services of one of England’s most highly-rated young defenders, even if they did pay over the odds landing Burnley’s Michael Keane for £30 million, as reported by the BBC.
The former Manchester United youngster emerged as a real talent in 2016/17, standing out in a Burnley side that comfortably avoided relegation on their return to the Premier League and earning a well-deserved England debut to boot.
So far, however, the 24-year-old is yet to prove that he is worth such a mammoth fee to an Everton side who see him as a long-term fixture at the heart of their defence. Keane struggled positionally in a back-three in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City last month and didn’t cover himself in glory during successive defeats to Chelsea and Tottenham.
Michael who?
All the while, his former club are carrying on just fine without him. While Everton lost against Chelsea and Spurs, Burnley picked up four points against last season’s top two sides after impressive performances at both Stamford Bridge and Wembley.
And they also picked up their first home win of the season on Sunday, beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in a game that saw the end of Frank De Boer. And Burnley’s start to the season is made all the more impressive when you consider that they choose not to replace Keane this summer.
Manager Sean Dyche instead put his faith in James Tarkowski, a player with only four top tier starts to his name before this season, and has been richly rewarded.
The 24-year-old former Brentford defender was undoubtedly the best player on the pitch as The Clarets frustrated Palace, making a number of crucial interventions and marshalling Christian Benteke supremely.
He was impressive, too, against both Chelsea and Spurs while his predecessor in Burnley’s defence, Keene, struggled against the same opposition.
Therefore, it may be a worry for Everton that Burnley do not appear to be missing their £30 million former player one bit.
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