Everton: Michael Keane has point to prove vs Liverpool amid transfer latest
Everton will need to see the best of Michael Keane when they face Liverpool on Sunday.
The first-ever Merseyside derby is in the pipeline at Hill Dickinson Stadium as the Toffees look to secure a first win of the season against their nearest rivals.
The Premier League clash will certainly be interesting with both sides enduring different sorts of seasons at this stage.
David Moyes has his men looking to the future, and that is already starting to shape potential transfer business moving into the summer.
Marcos Senesi has been linked to Everton in the past, and the latest news on his future should give Keane all the encouragement he needs against Liverpool.
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Marcos Senesi snub turns Everton attention elsewhere
The Argentine looks set to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season, alongside Andoni Iraola, as his contract comes to an end at the Vitality Stadium.
That has unsurprisingly prompted plenty of interest after an excellent few campaigns for the centre-back with the Cherries.
| Season | Appearances | Goal involvements | Average rating |
| 2025/26 | 34 | 4 | 7.08 |
| 2024/25 | 19 | 0 | 6.92 |
| 2023/24 | 36 | 9 | 7.21 |
| 2022/23 | 34 | 2 | 6.70 |
The Blues are certainly one of the sides in the queue to land his signature on a pre-contract agreement, but look unlikely to win that race.
David Ornstein has reported that Tottenham are most likely to sign Senesi at this stage, despite the high risk of relegation.
That could prompt the Toffees to look elsewhere for defensive signings, with someone like Juventus’ Federico Gatti linked in the past.
If another centre-back deal is to be done, Keane will have to step up massively as Everton prepares to face Liverpool next up.
Can Michael Keane step up vs Liverpool?
The Englishman has been a regular under Moyes this season, filling in for Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski when injured.
Despite that, he has often found himself as a third choice when those two are fit, and that could spell the end of the road in the summer when his contract expires.
He didn’t play a single minute last time around against Brentford, but did play 90 minutes against both Chelsea and Arsenal.
It’s safe to say he didn’t have his best day against the latter as he lost four duels and committed two fouls at the Emirates.
His one tackle isn’t really enough, even if he did make six clearances, and it is likely to be something Moyes looks at in detail.
If Keane is given the chance against Liverpool, he needs to prove he can cut it at the top level and doesn’t need to be replaced once the summer window opens.
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