Tottenham join chase for emerging England international

Tottenham are the latest Premier League side to register an interest in Burnley defender Michael Keane, although any arrival could have potential repercussions on the future of Eric Dier, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Keane will not sign a new deal with Burnley and is expected to leave Turf Moor at the end of the season with the likes of Everton, Manchester United and Liverpool all credited with an interest in the England international.

However, news of Tottenham’s interest could actually lead United to switch their attentions from Keane, whom they sold to Burnley for £2m in 2015, to long-term Mourinho target Dier.

Dier is a transfer target for United with Mourinho keen to offer the Tottenham ace a regular spot in central midfield, where he has dropped down the pecking order at Spurs this season following Victor Wanyama’s arrival last summer.

The 23-year-old has instead been forced to play in central defence when either Toby Alderweireld or Jan Vertonghen have not been fit enough to play or when Mauricio Pochettino has reverted to a back three.

However, Keane’s potential arrival would limit Dier’s chances of playing in defence and unless anything changes in midfield, he could find himself spending a lot of time on the bench next season despite only committing to a new five-year deal in September.

Only Steve Cook (204) and Ben Mee (175) have completed more headed clearances in the Premier League this season than Keane (166).

For more stats on Michael Keane, click here to visit his WhoScored player page