Everton close to appointing next manager

With the days left in the January transfer window ticking down rapidly, Everton are close to appointing a new manager to replace Frank Lampard who was sacked early in the week.

After talks yesterday with both Marcelo Bielsa and Sean Dyche, multiple media sources are now reporting that it’s the former Burnley man who is about to get the nod, with the two sides working out the terms of the deal and a contract until June 2025 being offered to the 51-year-old.

Dyche is currently out of work after the Clarets sacked him in April 2022 and were subsequently relegated last season, choosing to go in a different stylistic direction with his replacement in Vincent Kompany. The Blues also spoke extensively to Bielsa who was also sacked last season with Leeds United floundering alongside the Toffees in a relegation battle, but the Argentine’s reported proposal didn’t seem to fit the needs of Everton’s current situation.

The Toffees sit in 19th place, ahead of Southampton on goal difference, and seemingly out of hope for survival having failed to make a single signing with now less than four days left in the January transfer window. Forward Arnaut Danjuma earlier this week made a U-turn and bolted to Tottenham despite having completed most of the formalities to join Everton on loan.

Dyche was in charge at Turf Moor for nine-and-a-half years, taking Burnley into the Premier League after a four-year-absence on a shoestring budget and playing a limited 4-4-2 formation all the way to European qualification.

A series of underwhelming performances under the tactically-limited Lampard have left the Blues staring relegation in the face, and it will take a super-human effort from Dyche (or whoever else takes over) to pull the uninspired club out of the mire. It will not be a surprise if the Toffees will once again need the supporters to give them that extra boost like they did last season, but without new signings it’s very difficult to see where the goals will come from to inspire the team.