Burnley manager Sean Dyche has indicated he expects to hold talks over a new contract at the club in the coming weeks.
With one year left on his existing deal, speculation over Dyche’s future is sure to ramp up following confirmation that Roy Hodgson will leave Crystal Palace this summer, but the Clarets’ owners ALK Capital are keen to keep the 49-year-old.
“I made it clear the main focus for me was making sure we were in the Premier League,” said Dyche, who should now find his negotiating position strengthened considerably.
“Now that’s achieved, it’s different on that score, so I’m sure over the coming weeks they will be speaking to me. They’ve certainly mentioned that they want to.”
In his eight-and-a-half years at Turf Moor, Dyche has twice guided Burnley to promotion to the Premier League, and next season will be a sixth consecutive campaign in the top flight.
Dyche guided Burnley into Europe three years ago, and has defied the club’s financial restraints to establish them in the top flight.
The attraction of leaving for better-funded employers could potentially lure Dyche, frequently linked with jobs elsewhere, though following the takeover over Burnley by Alan Pace’s investment group earlier this year, the picture appears to be changing for the better.
“I’ve always maintained the same thought: Eventually things in football change,” Dyche said when asked if he was happy at Burnley.
“I’m always flattered by any links because I respect the whole of football. I played through my career up and down the levels of football, smaller clubs, bigger clubs, etc etc, so my respect has always been there.
“My role here is still what it is, I’m working hard, I think that’s been shown this season with myself, my staff and my players and I never lose sight of that. Things can change in the future, who knows? You can’t guarantee things in football.
“It’s not easy to plan a future in football – doors open and doors close. At the moment I’m still the Burnley manager. I must have said that down these eight and a half years a number of times.”
Dyche has declared this season a success with safety assured despite a lengthy injury list, but the odds will be against them ending what is already a club-record run of nine home top-flight games without a win when they host Champions League-chasing Liverpool tonight.
England goalkeeper Nick Pope could again be missing with a knee injury after sitting out Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat to Leeds, with Robbie Brady, Kevin Long, Phil Bardsley and Dale Stephens all ruled out.
Injuries have hit Burnley hard this term after a lack of investment across previous transfer windows even as the contracts of several first-team players were allowed to run down.
A willingness to address that could be key to the club’s chances of persuading Dyche to extend his stay.
“We’ve got to make sure we’re securing the right players, and then looking outside of our group to secure players too,” Dyche said.
“I think any work we can that benefits the team is a major plus. It is tricky. We do have open lines of communication here with all our players and their agents, and trying to recruit is a tricky side of the industry – probably the toughest.
“That’s part of the challenge. We’ve been down this road before and we’re going to go down this road again.”
