United left kicking themselves for letting Keane go for cheap
LONDON: Manchester United are “kicking themselves” for not putting a sell-on clause in £25mil (RM129mil)rated new England defender Michael Keane’s contract when he moved to Burnley.
The 23-year-old centreback is having a break-out season in the English Premier League and has been linked with a mega-bucks move to Chelsea in January.
But United are believed to have been unable to get Burnley to agree to a deal which would have seen them receive cash if he moves to another club.
Keane joined the Clarets for just £2.5mil (RM12.9mil) in January 2015, helping them to Premier League promotion last season.
A United insider revealed: “The club is kicking themselves over it and some people are now keeping their heads down.
“There is a fear they could be hearing ‘we told you so’ in the near future. He has always been highly-rated by United’s reserve coaches.”
It is not known whether United have first-option to buy-back Keane if a fee is agreed, like the one Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross has in his contract.
But it is thought Keane is a huge Red Devils fan and would be willing to move back to Old Trafford in the future.
The former Leicester loanee had his first call-up to the England senior squad this week to replace the injured Glen Johnson.
He has made 61 appearances and scored six goals for Burnley after initially joining them on loan in September 2014.
His twin brother Will – who came through the academy with him – is a striker who moved to Hull in the summer. — The Sun, London