Sean Dyche is set to remain at the helm of Everton, thanks to new owner Dan Friedkin's approval of his cost-cutting measures that have kept the Blues afloat in the Premier League. Remarkably, Everton stands as the only top-tier club to boast a net transfer profit since the commencement of the 2022-23 season, raking in a cool £79.7million.
Dyche, who took over from Frank Lampard two years ago next month, has been instrumental in this financial turnaround at Goodison Park, working closely with director of football Kevin Thelwell.
In stark contrast, Chelsea leads the pack in net spend over the same period, splashing out an astronomical £653.1million. Wolves trail behind Everton, having only spent £2.7million.
The Blues' impressive financial performance is largely due to their £223.7million income, against an expenditure of £143.9million since the summer of 2022.
Several big names were shown the door, including Richarlison who moved to Tottenham for £60million in July 2022, Anthony Gordon who was sold to Newcastle for £45million, and Amadou Onana who joined Aston Villa in July for £50million.
This marked a significant shift from the spending spree under former owner Farhad Moshiri, which saw £45million squandered on Gylfi Sigurdsson, £25million on Yannick Bolasie, and £25million on Jean-Philippe Gbamin.
Under Dyche's stewardship, Everton has adopted a more financially prudent approach, reducing player costs by over £8.3million or eight per cent.
The club has also shifted its focus from signing older players with poor availability records to investing in younger talent under 25, moving away from high-profile signings like the £20million James Rodriguez deal orchestrated to please then-boss Carlo Ancelotti.
The Blues have also capitalised on the loan market with deals such as the one for Jack Harrison, where they leveraged a clause in his Leeds contract to sign him if the Elland Road club were relegated, which happened in 2023. However, many fans have expressed dissatisfaction with signings like Beto.
The Guinea-Bissau striker has only netted seven goals in 48 appearances since his transfer from Udinese in August 2023. But that 'buy now, pay later' agreement was all Everton could afford at the time when they were in dire need of another forward.
Such deals are now a thing of the past. Dyche has managed to enhance Everton's performance on the pitch and their haul of 48 points before an eight-point deduction for breaching PSR would have secured them a 12th place finish.
This would have been their best result since 2021, and they amassed 12 more points than in the 2022-23 season. With such achievements, Dan Friedkin is content to keep Dyche at the helm but won't spend as they have done in the past.
The American owner hasn't spoken directly to Dyche yet, but his team will be outlining their objectives for the next six months. Dyche's future will hinge on results, and Friedkin will only consider dismissal if the team's performance plummets.
The primary goal is to ensure Everton remains a Premier League club when they transition to their new Bramley Moore Dock stadium in the summer. Dyche has a solid reputation for keeping clubs in the top flight.
Despite being dismissed by Burnley in 2022 and suffering relegation with them in 2015, Dyche has a track record of winning seven relegation battles, mostly against the odds, with both Burnley and Everton. With his contract set to expire in July, it remains uncertain whether Friedkin will offer him a new deal as he contemplates the best candidate to lead Everton forward.
Regardless, if Dyche manages to keep Everton in the Premier League, he can depart with his head held high.