Sean Dyche has admitted that Everton were never close to completing a deadline-day deal for Wilfried Gnonto or anyone else for that matter, following the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United.
The Toffees were keen to sign the Leeds United winger throughout the summer transfer window and the Toffees made a late swoop to try and secure his services in the final hours of the window but it was unsuccessful [Alan Myers, 1 September].
Dyche wanted to add to his wide options having lost Alex Iwobi to Fulham on deadline day and there were hopes that a late deal could be agreed for at least one new addition.
Speaking following the 2-2 draw, as quoted by the Yorkshire Evening Post on Saturday (2 September) he said: “We weren’t close enough to any situation. The truth is that certain parameter guidelines, we are now at.
“The club is not in the spot it was two or three years ago, I think that has become apparent. I have always thought you ‘manage what you can manage’ and manage the realities. They are the realities. I believe in what is here and the players that are here.”
It didn’t seem that Dyche was ever particularly confident that Everton would manage to add to their side before the transfer deadline and his comments today suggest that it was never going to be possible, even with Iwobi’s departure.
The Toffees are operating in a very different way following their recent financial struggles and part of that decision seems to be a change in approach to the transfer market, with smaller fees spent on younger players like Youseff Chermiti and loan deals for Anrnaut Dajnuma and Jack Harrison.
Everton don’t have the money or resources to gamble their future on big-money signings, especially with financial fair play restrictions hanging over Goodison Park and that wasn’t going to change in the final hours of transfer deadline day.
Hopefully, with the incoming business completed earlier in the window and the players already in place at Goodison, Dyche will have enough to keep the Toffees in the Premier League this season after a difficult start.
A first point and a first Premier League goal offers a small piece of positivity for the otherwise frustrated Everton fanbase.
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