Burnley boss Sean Dyche poised to sign new contract at Turf Moor

While the club is still to confirm reports in the Daily Mail on Sunday morning that the Clarets boss will extend his contract, which has just a year to run, I understand the news doesn’t come as a surprise.

Dyche was not expected to sign new terms under former chairman Mike Garlick, having signed a four and a half year deal in early 2018, with the club riding high in the Premier League in a season which ended with a seventh-place finish and a return to European competition for the first time in 51 years.

However, after the ALK Capital takeover in January, it has become apparent that Dyche and new chairman Alan Pace are similarly aligned as to the future direction of the club, and with more finance expected to be available to Dyche in the transfer market, the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, and second-longest in England behind Gareth Ainsworth at Wycombe - appears happier to continue his remarkable work at the club.

Since taking over in late October 2012, Dyche has twice guided the club to promotion to the Premier League, the second time as champions on the back of a 23-game unbeaten run.

Burnley have twice finished top 10 in the Premier League, playing in the Europa League in 2018.

And the £10.6m state of the art Barnfield Training Centre will also be part of his legacy.

Dyche will sign his new deal, despite there again being admirers elsewhere.

Crystal Palace, who have been keen on Dyche since the time he was appointed at Turf Moor, again had him on a prospective list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson, although the Eagles’ interest has softened, with the prohibitive cost of buying him out of his contract, at a time when Nuno Espírito Santo, Eddie Howe and Frank Lampard are freely available, while Steve Cooper could be tempted after failing to guide Swansea through the play-offs.

Everton have also been linked with Dyche in 2017, although no approach was made, and they are this week hoping to replace Carlo Ancelotti, with Nuno again in the thinking.

Pace has effectively said Dyche has a job for life, saying in January when asked whether the manager can stay for as long as he wants: “Absolutely. Sean is one of the things that led us to want to do this.

”It’s really important for people to realise that, and hopefully I have expressed that to him directly.

“Longevity and consistency and the good fortune of having someone who is a strong and capable leader like he is, is a blessing for us.

“Leaders do one thing - they help us do things we didn’t think we could do.

”They bring us and raise us above ourselves.

“He’s been able to do that consistently, and that consistency tells me a lot.“