Sean Dyche has revealed that Everton were very close to signing Scott McTominay during his spell at the club and that his signing could’ve saved his job.
Dyche took over a relegation-threatened Toffees outfit in January 2023 and ensured safety on the final day of the Premier League season. The Blues finished 15th the following season but Dyche was sacked from the club in 2024/25 with the club sitting just a point above the relegation zone in January.
Dyche, who was dismissed most recently as Nottingham Forest, however, believes that he could’ve succeeded at Everton had the Scott McTominay signing gone through. The Toffees were apparently very close to signing the former Manchester United midfielder who joined Napoli in 2024.
“When I was at Everton, I was very close to getting McTominay, do you know that?,” he told talkSPORT.
“Very close, I couldn’t believe I missed out on him. I couldn’t believe it. I think his agent said he was on for it and everything. There was a deal [for McTominay].
“I’m not gonna name, there was a player who’s going the other way, and all that business, and I couldn’t get it over the line. I reckon that could have changed everything for me.
“What a player – I couldn’t believe he wasn’t playing at Man U. I couldn’t get my head around [the fact that] he wasn’t playing. I couldn’t believe it.”
McTominay has found success in Italy. He scored 12 league goals and led Antonio Conte’s men to their second Scudetto in three years and just their fourth overall. The 29-year-old was rewarded with a Ballon d’Or nomination for his performances and he recently helped Scotland qualify for the FIFA World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years.