West Ham are looking to add an experienced centre-back to the squad before the close of the transfer window and could take business to Premier League outfit Everton.
The Hammers have endured a porous start to life in the Championship and are yet to keep a clean sheet in their first four matches in all competitions this season, conceding four in their opening two league outings.
It's a familiar problem for Nuno Espirito Santo, who has so far leant on Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman at the heart of the defence. At 28 and 29 years old, the centre-back pairing are not inexperienced options, but West Ham are keen for a veteran who is not so error-prone.
West Ham target Everton defender Michael Keane
The number one target could be Everton man Michael Keane, according to ExWHUEmployee. The 33-year-old could leave Merseyside this summer as he struggles for game time under David Moyes.
The former England international was an unused substitute in the league opener against Crystal Palace, with James Tarkowski and Jarrad Braithwaite preferred.
Keane had been set to leave the Hill Dickinson Stadium as a free agent this summer, but penned a 12-month extension with the Toffees towards the back end of last season.
The Toffees have not bolstered their options at the back in the market, but an exit for Keane could open the door for a new arrival before the window slams shut, with Moyes known to be keen to get more business done. Now, ExWHUEmployee claims that Keane has been made available and is one of the players that the club have spoken about.
“West Ham are holding talks with a number of Premier League players who have been made available. It is thought that Michael Keane of Everton is one of the players that we have spoken about," he said.
“We revealed the other day that West Ham were looking to add an experienced centre back to the squad and the 33 year old 12 times England capped defender ticks that box.
The defender has made 286 appearances in the top flight, and also has 86 Championship outings thanks to spells at Burnley, Derby County, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers - winning the second tier with the Clarets in 2016. The player also featured in the Championship Team of the Season for that campaign.
Michael Keane forged in the Championship
Keane's 2015/16 season in the Championship came off the back of relegation from the Premier League with Burnley, and the player knows what it takes to haul a side back into the big time on the first time of asking.
Michael Keane Championship experience -
- First taste of Championship football in 2012/13 when on loan at Leicester City from Man Utd
- Loan stints at Derby County and Blackburn Rovers over next two seasons, but struggle for consistent game time
- Completes permanent move to Premier League side Burnley in 2014
- Is key figure in Clarets' 2015/16 Championship campaign, scoring five goals in 44 outings from defence
In an interview shortly after earning promotion, Keane said: “It was the making of me going back down to the Championship. It’s never nice to get relegated, but I was only young still.
"Playing week-in, week-out in the Championship is tough – it’s a difficult league – but it built me up as a man.
"On the pitch I was a lot more aggressive after that year, and winning games gets you in the habit of winning football.
“Looking back it was a massive year in my career, and probably the most enjoyable too – you want to win lots of football matches and win titles and that’s exactly what happened that season. It gives you that hunger to try and do it again.”
It's that kind of know-how that will appeal to West Ham and Nuno. Despite their age, neither Mavropanos nor Kilman had played in the Championship prior to this season, with youth stars the only other options for Nuno at centre-back.