Michael Keane race hots up as Man City join Everton and Leicester in £20m hunt for Burnley centre-back
Clarets planned to hold out to their most-prized asset until the summer but now a January exit looms for the England hopeful
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BURNLEY are braced for a £20million tussle over star centre-half Michael Keane — with Manchester City joining Everton and Leicester in the hunt.
The Clarets planned to keep Keane for the rest of the season before selling him to the highest bidder.
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But the interest in him has grown dramatically in the past few days and a January deadline move could be on.
City sent a delegation to watch Keane, 24, in action as boss Pep Guardiola realises he needs a top-class defender.
The former Manchester United kid could be the answer and City have fortunes to spend both in fees and wages to make that happen.
While City consider an offer, Everton have pushed Keane back up their wish-list after hitting snags in their chase for Sunderland’s Lamine Kone and Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk.
Ronald Koeman is an admirer of Keane and his spies have also recommended him as the Toffees chief searches for TWO top central defenders.
Skipper Phil Jagielka’s possible departure from Goodison will create a gap, with West Ham, Sunderland and West Brom all checking a possible loan move.
Leicester are still on the scene for Keane after having a bid rejected in the summer.
Boss Claudio Ranieri would love to have him for their Champions League campaign.
Clarets boss Sean Dyche is plotting a bid for midfield general Dale Stephens to test Brighton’s determination to keep him.
Stephens, 27, is running out of contract and Dyche is sizing up a £2.5m offer.
The Bolton-born Seagulls star has his sights on the Premier League and a wages hike, so he may be tempted.
