Michael Keane and Mason Holgate futures appear in doubt at Everton – The Athletic
During an audit of the Everton squad, The Athletic suggest that the futures of both Michael Keane and Mason Holgate are in doubt.
With the World Cup break acting as a nice half-time break for the Premier League season, it’s a great time to step back and reflect on the performances and squad at Everton.
The Toffees face yet another relegation fight after finishing the first half of the campaign in 17th – just one point from the bottom three.
Frank Lampard will be keen to invest in January and continue the overhaul of his squad, and that could well mean departures for both Keane and Holgate.
The Athletic report: “Mason Holgate and Michael Keane have started just three league matches between them so far, with the latter likely to depart on loan in January.”
It adds that West Ham and Nottingham Forest are among the teams tracking Keane’s progress, with David Moyes “known to be a particular fan.”
The report concludes that Keane is “a high-earner on the fringes of the squad” and that recouping Keane’s wages will help Kevin Thelwell trim the club’s wage bill.
Deadwood
It was on full display last season that many of the players at Everton couldn’t be trusted to perform consistently in the Premier League.
Lampard quickly figured out those he could trust and those he couldn’t, and his summer spending on Conor Coady and James Tarkowski tells you all you need to know about his thoughts on the defence.
Everton’s defence has looked much, much better since Keane and Holgate were taken out of the side, and they’ve quickly become surplus to requirements at Goodison Park.
If Keane is drumming up interest from Forest and West Ham, then Everton would do well to quickly seal a deal for the centre-back to leave Merseyside.
As The Athletic reports, Keane isn’t on a small wage at Everton. While he sits week-in, week-out on the bench, the Toffees could be spending that money investing elsewhere in the squad.