Manchester United have cooled their interest in Burnley centre-back Michael Keane after reaching an agreement to sign fellow defender Victor Lindelöf, suggest reports.
The Red Devils had been linked with a move for Keane but will now not pursue a deal following the announcement of the Benfica defender’s prospective arrival.
Keane's United return 'unlikely'
The 24-year-old defender, who came through the academy at Old Trafford, is now said to ‘unlikely’ to complete a return to the club this summer.
As an England international, Keane would likely yield a substantial fee for the Clarets, with several other clubs having been linked with the defender.
However, having signed from United just three years ago, Jose Mourinho’s team would have received a 25% discount on the player had he returned to the club. That was down to the details of Keane’s original move away from the club but the Red Devils have still opted against the move.
The Daily Mail also states that Keane is set to depart the Turf Moor club having performed admirably for Sean Dyche’s side during the last season, with the Lancashire side eventually finishing up in 16th in the Premier League and six points clear of the bottom three.
Lindelöf sole centre-back signing?
Among the many clubs said to be interested in Keane are Everton, with Sky Sports reporting that Ronald Koeman’s outfit are favourites to land the defender.
The source also suggests Keane is more likely to join another North West side, so United could see their former academy product end up at a rival such as the Toffees, or perhaps even Manchester City or Liverpool, with both sides having been linked with the defender at some point.
Meanwhile, United’s capture of Swedish Lindelöf, combined with this apparent cooling of interest in Keane, may suggest the club’s transfer business in the centre-back department is up for the summer.
Lindelöf’s arrival could jeopardise the futures of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, who were arguably United’s weakest performing centre-backs last season.