Yesterday, the 'boyhood club' jokes flooded in (can we please ease up on those, by the way? They're antiques) as Al Ahli posted pictures of Ireland's record striker in training with the Dubai club.
It suddenly appeared that, despite being linked with Preston as well as former clubs Leeds and Coventry, Keane's more exotic odyssey would continue in potentially more lucrative pastures.
النجم الايرلندي روبي كين يشارك في تدريبات الفرسان صباح اليوم pic.twitter.com/0S9P4z2yxM
— نادي شباب الأهلي (@Shabab_AlAhliFC) February 6, 2017
However, it now seems Keane might be returning to English football after all. He can sign for an English club up until March 23rd.
In today's Irish Times, Emmet Malone writes that Keane wasn't training with the Arabian Gulf League outfit ahead of a prospective move, but to maintain fitness while on holiday in Dubai with his family.
Malone's understanding of the situation is that a move to England now looks less likely than it did in January, but Keane will almost certainly not be tearing up the AGL any time soon.
He writes that 'Keane’s next move is not imminent at present', and so it would appear Robbie is still considering his options.
Over in the Irish Sun, Neil O'Riordan reports that Sunderland remain interested in snapping Keane up as cover for their Lord and Saviour Jermain Defoe having failed to land Leonard Ulloa from Leicester.
However, he also writes that it's Sean Dyche's Burnley who are most keen on Keane, with Dyche wishing to add one further striking option to his trio of Ashley Barnes, Andre Gray and Sam Vokes following the premature end to Patrick Bamford's loan.
Following their then-record signing of Jeff Hendrick last summer, Burnley and Ireland's Steven Ward explained to us how Sean Dyche approached him to suss out his Irish international, who was then at Derby.
He later revealed to the Irish Independent that Hendrick himself played no small role in Robbie Brady's move to his new club. As such, it's not entirely inconceivable that three of Keane's former international teammates would be trying to bring the great man to Turf Moor.
Nonetheless, it appears we'll be kept waiting in the meantime.
