Everton defender Michael Keane has inked a new contract extension and hinted at the exciting summer ahead.
Since landing on Merseyside, The Friedkin Group have been keen to reward Everton players who they feel have earned their keep.
David Moyes has already seen a number of new contracts handed out over recent weeks, with Keane the latest in line.
Do Everton still need to add a new centre-back this summer? 🤔
But it was a comment in his announcement interview about the summer transfer window that really stood out.
Michael Keane hints at exciting Everton transfer plans
Everton have bumped up Keane’s salary as a reward for his impressive 2025/26 campaign with the Blues.
Five games remain for Everton to secure their spot in Europe for next season, with Keane hinting towards big plans for the summer window.
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“Looking forward, it’s a really exciting club to be at. If we can really push towards the end of the season and get ourselves into Europe, it’s going to be an exciting summer,” he said.
“With the manager and team we’ve got, we can attract even better players. So it’s really exciting and I’m really happy to be here.”
The 33-year-old has played a bigger role than expected due to Jarrad Branthwaite’s hamstring issues.
Everton’s interest in John Stones could now be off the table given the Blues have just secured the veteran, Keane, to an extra year.
However, Branthwaite’s latest injury setback will mean that a new centre-back addition could remain an option for Moyes.
It will just be a case of identifying a more like-for-like alternative to Branthwaite than Keane.
European football would unlock ‘exciting’ summer plans
The key to taking a step forward this summer in the transfer market would be having European football on offer.
Last summer, Malick Fofana rejected Everton because he wanted to join a club playing at the top level of European football.
Securing qualification to one of the European competitions would mark a major step forward for the Blues ahead of the market opening.
The Europa Conference League would not dramatically improve Everton’s finances, but it could make the club more attractive to potential transfer targets.
Five games remain to unlock this ‘exciting’ summer.
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