Every single Everton supporter will be aware of the awful financial issues currently plaguing the club, preventing boss Sean Dyche from investing and improving his current squad.
The Toffees have been massively restricted as to what they can spend during the transfer windows to avoid any further PSR breach which would put their ever-present Premier League status at risk.
However, they’ve already conducted multiple pieces of shrewd business, with the likes of Iliman Ndiaye, Tim Iroegbunam and Jack Harrison all arriving at Goodison Park ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Whilst the total outlay of the deals is only in the region of £24m, the club will still need to be cautious of any overspends that could result in another points deduction within the next 12 months.
Dyche’s side can easily prevent such issues by offloading a number of fringe first-team players who have dramatically fallen down the pecking order on Merseyside in recent times.
One player especially needs to be brutally sold, with his huge weekly earnings undeserving given his lack of impact since Dyche’s appointment a couple of years.
Michael Keane’s stats at Everton
After joining the Toffees in £30m move from Burnley back in 2017, defender Michael Keane was tasked with leading the club towards a consistent challenge for European football at Goodison.
Despite joining the club for a hefty fee, it was seen as a good signing, with the former Manchester United youngster starting 30 times throughout his first campaign, helping the Toffees secure an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.
The defender remained a crucial part of the Toffees’ backline for the 2018/2019 campaign, with Keane making 33 appearances in the top flight and looking to be worth every penny of his £30m pricetag.
However, over the last two seasons, the emergence of a brilliant partnership between James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite has seen a huge decrease in the amount of games and minutes played for the now 31-year-old.
|
Michael Keane’s PL career at Everton |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Minutes played |
|
2017/18 |
33 |
0 |
2,560′ |
|
2018/19 |
33 |
1 |
2,970′ |
|
2019/20 |
31 |
2 |
2,556′ |
|
2020/21 |
35 |
3 |
2,990′ |
|
2021/22 |
32 |
3 |
2,792′ |
|
2022/23 |
12 |
1 |
983′ |
|
2023/24 |
9 |
1 |
435′ |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, Keane has only managed a total of 28 appearances but has still managed to find the net on two occasions, including a vital strike against Tottenham Hotspur, which boosted the club’s survival bid.
However, he’s unfortunately nowhere near the level he once was, with Dyche needing to shift him this summer, potentially being the last opportunity to recoup some of the money the club spent on him, with his contract expiring next summer.
How much Michael Keane earns at Everton
Nearly seven years on from his arrival at Goodison, Keane currently earns £80k-per-week, as per Capology, – a ridiculous amount of money for a player given his game time last season.
His current weekly wage is over two times more than youngster Branthwaite, with the 21-year-old earning just £35k-per-week, despite his excellent form that has caught the eye of fellow Premier League side Manchester United.
It’s a shame to see the one-time regular starter rapidly fall out of favour under Dyche in recent seasons, but it’s a signal as to how far the club have progressed under the former Burnley boss.
They’ve outgrown Keane’s current level, with the club needing to be brutal in their transfer dealings if they are to progress to the next level, whilst also staying within the confines of the league’s PSR rules.
The club should look to use the money from any sale and wages offloaded in Keane’s potential transfer and put it towards tying Branthwaite down to another long-term deal this summer, to help fend off interest from Erik ten Hag’s side or any other potential interested parties.
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