Everton boss Sean Dyche will now deny West Ham United the last-gasp transfer of Michael Keane. The new Toffees coach is loath to let the defender go to the Irons on deadline day.
That is according to Dharmesh Sheth, who reports that Keane will remain at Goodison Park after Everton hired Dyche. The Merseyside club appointed the 51-year-old to replace Frank Lampard in charge this Monday. He has previously worked with the centre-back at Burnley.
West Ham had explored a move for Keane’s transfer before Everton appointed Dyche on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Yet David Moyes is now likely to face frustration should they submit any offer for his services. He had mulled a bid to bolster his injury-plagued defence.
Moyes confirmed this Monday that Zouma will face an undetermined spell on the sidelines after a small thigh tear. The Scot has already had to cope without the Frenchman in recent months after he required knee surgery. Nayef Aguerd has also suffered with a groin issue.
Craig Dawson has also now left the London Stadium after joining Wolves for £3.5m earlier this month. So, West Ham felt Keane may be an attainable target having struggled to earn minutes under Lampard. But Dyche’s arrival at the Everton helm should now block any bid.
Dyche to deny West Ham the last-gasp transfer of Everton outcast Keane
Keane has only played 202 minutes over three appearances across all competitions so far this season. He only earned 22 of those minutes during his only Premier League outing of the campaign. While his sole top-flight appearance also came at Brentford on August 27.
Lampard left the 30-year-old to serve as an unused substitute in 14 of the Toffees’ league fixtures this season. The 12-cap England defender further failed to make any of their past five top-flight matchday squads. He was last involved in their squad before the World Cup.
So, the Daily Mail reports that West Ham were monitoring events at Everton ahead of any bid for Keane’s transfer. Had Dyche proved willing to let the Toffees’ £25m, rising to £31m, arrival from Dyche’s Burnley in 2017 leave, Moyes would have made a move for a transfer.
Keane is still under contract at Goodison through to June 2025 on an £80k-a-week deal. He last penned an extension in August 2020. But he fell out of favour under Lampard once the club signed Conor Coady and another of Dyche’s Clarets stars, James Tarkowski, last year.
Yet Dyche’s appointment will now give Keane a new lease of life on Merseyside. The coach hailed the defender as ‘fantastic’ through Keane’s time at Turf Moor during his tenure. He also used the Manchester-born enforcer in 108 games across all competitions for the club.
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