Leicester City have reportedly made a £20m bid for Burnley defender Michael Keane as they look to steal a march on their Premier League rivals.
As noted by The Daily Star last month, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all interested in signing the former Manchester United starlet, and appeared to be in a three-horse race to acquire him.
However, The Sun report that Leicester have made their move after monitoring Keane for some time by submitting a £20m offer for the English defender, as they hope to bolster their squad in the January transfer window.
It’s claimed that Claudio Ranieri sent scout Eduardo Macia to watch the 23-year-old at the weekend with the Italian tactician looking to provide competition for Wes Morgan and Robert Huth.
The Foxes have struggled in the Premier League so far this season as they look to defend their title, as they sit in 14th place in the table after 11 games with just 12 points to show for their efforts.
In contrast, they are going well in the Champions League and so it appears as though Ranieri wants to add depth and quality to ensure that the squad can cope with the packed schedule.
The ability to offer Champions League football could be a huge benefit for Leicester, and a bid of £20m is certainly expected to test Burnley’s resolve.
However, Keane may well want to assess his options at the end of the season with the clubs mentioned above all said to be interested, as the long-term benefits of joining Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool may out-weight the short-term gain he would get by deciding to move to the King Power Stadium.
The Sun add that he’s been stalling on a new contract, and that will undoubtedly be a major concern for Sean Dyche with Keane forming a pivotal part of his side’s success since his arrival from United last year.