Jose Mourinho must have been appalled with the manner in which his team conceded a last-gasp goal against Arsenal on Saturday. The Portuguese manager is on the lookout for defensive reinforcements to his first team and has identified Burnley defender, Michael Keane as a potential replacement for out-of-favour Chris Smalling.
The 23 year old England international is reportedly the subject of a £25m bid by the Old Trafford outfit, who have been impressed with his performances for Sean Dyche’s men. The Sun reports that Keane could be set for a return to Manchester, where he could only muster 5 senior appearances before leaving permanently in January last year.
The England international is a tall, physically imposing centre-back. At 6ft 4in, he is a match for potentially any striker in England, an attribute Jose will be willing to add to his team, as his current crop of players are nowhere the level the manager expects in his central defenders.
Eric Bailly, the big summer signing from Villarreal has impressed, but is currently out injured until Christmas while the likes of Smalling, Blind and Marcos Rojo have all flattered to deceive all season. It would be interesting to decipher whether Keane would be willing to move back to Manchester United. Alongside twin brother, Will, he played for the youth teams and was farmed out on loan on a number of occasions. He may well use the vase of Paul Pogba as inspiration, with the former Juve man also moving back as the world record signing after he was sold on a free back in 2012.
Keane has been fantastic for the Clarets this season as they aim to retain their Premier League status after going down last time out. He has played 11 times in the league this season, and was particularly exceptional alongside goalkeeper Tom Heaton, as the club played out a very impressive goalless draw against Manchester United earlier in the season.
A £25m bid night be too much for Burnley to refuse, though they might actually prefer him leaving in the summer, when they must have been safe from the threat of relegation.
