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.
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Reader Comments (13)
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2 Posted 31/03/2026 at 16:59:54
3 Posted 31/03/2026 at 17:04:21
4 Posted 31/03/2026 at 17:16:32
So Dyche never spoke to the player himself? But still thinks the deal was "close"??
Sorry, Sean. Don't believe a word of it. At that moment in time, McTominay had a choice between playing for Conte in the Champions League or helping Dyche fight relegation again.
McTominay's decision to go to Napoli instead of Everton must have required him to ponder and agonize for... oh, maybe 30 seconds.
5 Posted 31/03/2026 at 17:16:50
6 Posted 31/03/2026 at 17:47:52
What 'changed everything' was you leaving and Moyes coming in.
7 Posted 31/03/2026 at 18:32:22
The past is the past. We'd have gone down under you. End of.
Matters didn't help with an absent clueless owner at the time.
McTominay was never coming.
8 Posted 31/03/2026 at 18:33:26
And we weren't going down, the Bottom 3 were under 30 points throughout, weren't they?
9 Posted 31/03/2026 at 20:05:42
I am getting sick ad tired of this same old crap from gravel hard boiled egg trying to rescue his erm repuation.
Better still, eds, can you please stop posting this shite.
10 Posted 01/04/2026 at 10:09:58
Its a player Moyes would surely welcome with the Scottish connection, and the player would feel the same.
That said, I would be surprised if the player did come back to the Prem as reports say he likes the Italian experience.
There again he may miss not playing in the best league in the World, and surely will return at some point.
11 Posted 01/04/2026 at 14:41:19
Keep dreaming.
12 Posted 01/04/2026 at 15:35:21
13 Posted 03/04/2026 at 19:34:03
What I do know, and said quite a few times, was he would have been a very good signing and would have improved us no end, and would have been affordable.
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1 Posted 31/03/2026 at 16:35:50
I had mates who were against signing him when we were mentioned being in for him.
Good player