Michael Keane is set to leave Everton on loan during the January transfer window.
The ECHO understands that three of the Blues’ Premier League rivals, West Ham United, Fulham and Leicester City – for whom Keane played 27 matches on loan from Manchester United a decade ago in the 2012/13 season – are among a group of up to eight clubs all monitoring the 29-year-old’s situation at Goodison Park.
Keane joined Everton from Burnley for £25million in the club’s record-breaking summer of spending in 2017 and although he has made 189 appearances for them to date, netting 11 times – including the first goal in the dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace that secured their top flight status in the final home game of last season – the arrival of both James Tarkowski and Conor Coady this summer has severely restricted his first team action in the current campaign.
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The England international has featured in just 22 minutes of Premier League football this term – coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Brentford on August 27 – along with Carabao Cup outings at Fleetwood Town and Bournemouth.
Keane – whose current contract at Everton runs until 2025 – was the subject of loan interest over the summer but after being unable to win back his place, a New Year departure looks on the cards.
The Blues’ centre-back options have been boosted by Ben Godfrey’s return to fitness and the former Norwich City man completed his first 90 minutes of the season in the Under-21s side’s 2-1 victory over Mansfield Town in the Papa John’s Trophy, although Yerry Mina’s continued fitness issues remain a cause for concern.
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