Waving goodbye to wantaway Anthony Gordon will be Sean Dyche’s first task at Everton

Sean Dyche is on the verge of being confirmed as the new Everton manager after accepting the challenge of saving the club from relegation.

Everton, who on Friday agreed to sell Anthony Gordon to Newcastle for a fee in excess of £40million, had been pursuing a deal for Marcelo Bielsa since Frank Lampard’s sacking but the Argentine’s preference was to take over in the summer.

He was prepared to coach the Under 21s in the interim, to get a feel for the club and assess the squad from close quarters.

Dyche has taken over the role after the Toffees missed out on their No 1 target Marcelo Bielsa

Bielsa flew in from Brazil on Thursday to meet Everton owner Farhad Moshiri in London. But with the 67-year-old making it clear that he would need time for his methods to be taken on board by the players, Everton switched course.

Dyche was not originally in Moshiri’s thoughts last Sunday but he indicated that he wanted the job and, after he and his advisers had discussions with the Iranian, it has been agreed that he will take on the task of keeping Everton in the top flight. 

Confirmation of the appointment is expected over the weekend. Former Burnley boss Dyche will be accompanied by trusted assistants Ian Woan and Steve Stone and will find familiar faces in a dressing room including Dwight McNeil, Michael Keane and James Tarkowski.

Newcastle have made an agreement with Everton to sign Anthony Gordon in a £40million deal

Gordon’s sale will give Everton room to manoeuvre in the transfer market and they desperately need to bring in a striker before Tuesday’s deadline. 

They have been linked with Bologna’s Marko Arnautovic but are exploring their options.

Having missed three days’ training, Gordon reported to Finch Farm on Friday for the final time. 

The 21-year-old will travel to the north east to complete his move after a week of talks between the clubs. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had identified Gordon as his top January target and the club have agreed to pay the full fee up front. 

There were concerns that the arrival of Bielsa as manager at Goodison Park could halt the deal, given he wanted pace in his team. 

However, when the move for Bielsa collapsed and Dyche emerged as Everton’s pick, the Gordon transfer was allowed to proceed. 

Newcastle enquired about the winger in the summer but were put off by a £60m asking price. 

But Gordon made it clear this month that he wanted out, so there was always confidence that a compromise would be reached on the fee.

In another boost for Howe, right back Kieran Trippier extended his Newcastle contract until 2025 on Friday night.

Kieran Trippier signed a contract extension to keep him Newcastle until the summer of 2025