Chelsea have been planning for the day when John Terry finally retires. The captain of the London club was given a year’s contract at the start of the season but it is likely that he will retire from the game at the end of this season. And the Blues seem to be looking at English targets to replace him.
The need for English defenders is due to the strict rule of home-grown players in the Premier League. Chelsea have often struggled to meet that requirement and Antonio Conte seems to have found the replacement for the Chelsea captain in Burnley’s Michael Keane.
The 23-year-old has already represented the England U20 and U21 set-up and had started his career with Manchester United before loan spells at various clubs. His last loan club was Burnley and the defender made the switch permanent in 2015. The Stockport lad is now back in the Premier League with his new club as he looks to make a name for himself.
Keane is known for his overall game and many believe that he is the complete package. While it might be a surprise seeing him being linked with a move to Chelsea, many Premier League sides tried to sign him at the start of this season.
Earlier this summer, the Premier League Champions Leicester City tried to lure him into the club as they launched a reported bid of around £12 million, but Burnley rejected that bid but it does seem that it is only a matter of time before the English defender moves away.
The Burnley man is great in the air and is known for his strength, something which is a necessity for a defender in the Premier League. His tackling though is not the greatest and that is something Keane has to work on. John Terry is one of the best tacklers in the game and Keane has a long way to go before he can be on the same level as the Chelsea captain.
Keane, however, is comfortable with the ball at his feet and isn’t fazed when having to pass the ball out of the defence. There still is a long way to go for him in terms of becoming a top level player but the signs are good. Antonio Conte should wait till the January window before he decides to make a move for the defender. He might not be John Terry’s direct replacement now but he does tick the right boxes at the moment.
Half a season in the Premier League should be a decent enough time period to gauge a defender’s ability to cope with Premier League requirements. And if things progress the way they have been going for Keane, he could be playing in the Blue of Chelsea soon.