West Ham United are now the 'favourites' to sign Everton defender Michael Keane, according to journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: West Ham's Keane interest

Writing for the Athletic, journalist Roshane Thomas detailed that Keane could be an option on loan for West Ham in January, in light of Craig Dawson's potential departure, as he aims to move further north to be near his family in Cheshire.

That came after the Hammers registered their interest in bringing the centre-back to the London Stadium back in November, with journalist Dean Jones later claiming that they had 'considered' a move for him.

Now, it has transpired that the Hammers are leading the race for his signature...

The Latest: Brown's update

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown claimed that Keane has made his mind up about leaving Everton, with West Ham currently the most likely destination:

“I just think everyone knows that because he’s not getting a game really for Everton, that he could be on the market.

“I think Michael Keane’s decided that he’s going to have to move to get more football, so I think he’s going to go somewhere and West Ham, I would say, are favourites at the moment.”

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-uodates/" title="West Ham latest updates!" poster="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-david-moyes-premier-league-scaled-1.jpg" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

The Verdict: Get it done?

While the Englishman would admittedly not be the most exciting signing for West Ham fans, he is a proven defender in the top tier, who would be a useful option for David Moyes to have for the remainder of the season.

Last season, journalist David Prentice described the former Burnley man as being 'immense', a campaign in which he made more than 30 Premier League appearances for the sixth consecutive season, while he was also ranked by SofaScore as the Toffees' best defender.

The colossus is dominant in the air, averaging 3.01 aerials won per 90, in the 91st percentile compared to his positional peers, and it would be a shrewd bit of business if Moyes managed to bring him to the club in January.