Sean Dyche makes blunt Everton transfer admission and speaks out on Dele Alli future

Sean Dyche insists Everton will be ready to act in the transfer market when the time is right this summer while admitting that he expects certain members of his squad to attract interest after director of football Kevin Thelwell told fans that players will be sold.

When asked about planning for recruits, Dyche said: "It's still not a balanced situation. We're just going to have to take a balanced view on different guidelines on what could happen and it puts a lot of added attention on the recruitment side of things or the possible recruitment side of things because the wider the parameters, the harder it is.

"That's been the reality since I got here so we'll just be open-minded and ready for what we can do when it comes our way."

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On departures, the Blues boss added: "I think Kev has spoken openly about there's an idea that we're likely to have to sell. We don't know who, we don't know what, we don't know when exactly because obviously we're not open to that.

"But if people are likely to come for our players, which we think certainly players they will do, then we'll have to be open to that because that's just the current reality of the club and the finances of it."

Everton go to Arsenal on Sunday for their final game of the season with Dyche waiting on Andre Gomes, who he hopes will be fit after suffering a black eye against Sheffield United. On-loan Jack Harrison is ruled out with a hamstring injury alongside long-term absentee Dele Alli.

In terms of when Dele - whose contract at Goodison Park expires this summer - might return, Dyche said: "We'll see. My main aim and I've spoken to him endlessly about it is just to get him back on the pitch, get him playing, get him smiling, get him enjoying it again.

"He's had a real tough time, it became clear, in his personal life but that's well and truly parked, he looks good in himself, he seems well in himself and on the training pitch, it looks like he's moving well. Getting back the love of the game is the end goal that I've spoken to him about, regardless of his situation with us or anyone else for that matter, getting back to that love of the game and love of what he does because he's a top player - without a doubt - when he's fully fit and running."