Stuart Pearce has admitted that he will be “astounded” if Burnley defender Michael Keane ends up at Everton.

According to the Daily Mail, he Toffees are confident of getting a £25m deal over the line in the next few weeks.

Keane, whose performances for Burnley last season earned him a call-up to the England national team, was also linked to Liverpool and his former club Manchester United.

The defender came through the youth ranks in 2011, but after loan spells at Leicester City, Derby County, Blackburn Rovers and Burnley, the Red Devils let him go in 2015.

Two years later, it seemed as though a possible return was optional, but these latest reports suggest that Everton will seal his signature.

Pearce, who managed the England Under-21s for six years, believes that Keane is good enough to play for any of the top four clubs in the Premier League, and is baffled that Goodison Park seems to be the destination.

He told talkSPORT:

“I’ve got to say, if Everton get there before any of the top four, five or six, I’ll be astounded. I saw him at the back end of last season and he had grown so much as a player,and I think there is more to come from him.

“If I was one of the bigger sides, I would get in and get there before Everton. I think if Everton get there before them they have signed an extremely good central defender that is going to improve and maybe even move on for bigger money when he eventually goes."

https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/record-transfers.mp4