'I find that a bit odd' - Sean Dyche gives transfer update as Everton try to seal Beto deal

Everton manager Sean Dyche has lifted the lid on the difficulties the club face in the transfer market going into the final week before the window closes.

The ECHO understands the Blues are currently working on trying to finalise a move for Beto of Udinese, with his 19-year-old fellow Portuguese striker Youssef Chermiti their only cash signing of the summer so far. Dyche said: “The thing I’ve always tried to manage is reality. When I came here, it was made clear this is likely to be how this pans out over the coming months, so that’s the reality.

“I can’t manage a non-reality. People have said to me, Evertonians, ‘why haven’t you signed two strikers?’ and have said it in that way like I’ve not wanted to sign them.

“I do find that a bit odd. I’ve never known a manager that doesn’t want to sign strikers. Trust me, I don’t know any at any level.

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“It’s fair to say that I do want to sign strikers but they have to be ones that can actually affect what we’re doing and the deal has to work. Someone was asking the other day about Youssef, it actually worked – I’m not going to go into the details because it’s private – but it actually works over how we can construct a deal.

“So it doesn’t mean you can’t do another deal, it means we’ve got to construct them in a way that can work.”

Chelsea, who have spent more than £850million since owner Todd Boehly took over last summer have now splashed out around £323million on eight players in this transfer window, getting around Financial Fair Play restrictions by offering recruits lengthy contracts.