Sean Dyche says Everton tried to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Jack Grealish while he was the manager of the club.
The Blues brought in Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea before signing Grealish on loan from Manchester City this summer and both players have had an immediate impact for David Moyes’ side.
Dyche, however, says that Everton had registered interest in both players during his time at the club, but has also emphasised that neither deal came close to fruition.
Talking about Everton’s start to the season on the talkSPORT show Warm Up with Jonny Owen and Sean Dyche, he said, “Everybody knows what a big fan I am of David Moyes, he knows I respect him and what he’s done. But he’ll know that a lot of them players, we were trying to sign them last year, you can’t get them over the line, whether it’s money [or] you just can’t get the deals done.
“Dewsbury-Hall, we were trying for, Jack Grealish, we went in for, but you’ve got to remember – and I don’t mean we were close, so before anyone misquotes me, what I mean is we were we’re putting out the calls, Kev Thelwell [former director of football] was going into these situations going: ‘Right, can we?’
“You get in there early and you just keep registering your interest. You can’t sign everyone and they’ve come in and they’ve done great. There’s other players who have done great, some of the players already there – Michael Keane’s back in the side, [because of] the injury to Jarrad Branthwaite, of course, but he is a top pro, I spoke highly of him when I was on the show.
“But he has signed some very good players.”
Sean Dyche, who managed Everton between 2023 and January 2025, also praised Jack Grealish. The former Aston Villa captain has already registered four assists for the club and helped the Blues to wins over Brighton and Wolves. He has also been nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month.
“I think Grealish, not questioning Pep Guardiola [Man City boss] or their style at all, but Pep wants you to pop it and move more whereas Grealish, he carries it, doesn’t he?” asked Dyche.
“And he’s carried it well so far. Maybe that bigger fish in a smaller pool suits him. I don’t know yet, but I think he’s a fantastic player. I will say that.
“And I think he’s started fantastically well. And one player can rub off on other players and give other players more belief, can help good players to be very good players… Hopefully he will be that for Everton and continue it because he’s been waiting, he’s been nearly there, and hopefully he’ll have his wings out and spread them and do well for Everton.
“And he certainly started the season very well, that’s for sure.”