West Ham United are ready to move for Everton centre-back Michael Keane if the Blues are relegated. 

That's according to Daily Star sports reporter Harry Pratt.

The lowdown

Keane, Pratt notes, was 'rising through the Manchester United ranks' when David Moyes in charge during the 2013/14 season.

Everton later paid £25.7million to sign Keane in 2017 after he'd spent two and a half years at Burnley.

The Englishman has gone on to rack up 181 appearances for The Toffees, including 33 in all competitions so far this season (via Transfermarkt).

His £65,000-per-week contract still has more than three years left to run.

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The latest

Pratt writes that Moyes remains a 'big admirer' of Keane and could look to capitalise on the 'major exodus' that's anticipated at Goodison Park if the Toffees drop.

The Scot and West Ham would be ready to offer him 'an immediate route back to the Premier League'.

Moyes wants to more centre-back available ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Keane would apparently cost the Hammers as much as £20million even after a potential relegation.

The verdict

Everton supporters may be somewhat surprised at the prospect of a lucrative sale.

Indeed, a £20million exit would be the ninth-biggest in the history of the club.

Keane has come in for heavy criticism at times this season, with Paul Robinson accusing him of frequent 'lapses in concentration' and The I's James Gray pondering if he'd endured the 'worst half ever' in the 5-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last month.

But Moyes has been undeterred, and he could hand his former club a significant financial boost, helping to absorb the possible blow of demotion.

In other news, Everton also risk losing another mainstay.