Report reveals former Chelsea manager's first concrete Toffees target amid Dyche sack talk

Everton’s soon-to-be new owners The Friedkin Group are reportedly interested in appointing Maurizio Sarri as the Toffees’ new manager and he has already identified one big transfer target – while we can confirm the Toffees’ current stance on sacking Sean Dyche.

TFG have had an offer to purchase Farhad Moshiri’s majority shareholding in Everton accepted and are expected to take charge by the end of December if all goes smoothly.

Everton have endured a disappointing start to the season, picking up just four points from six Premier League matches so far and Dyche has faced criticism off the back of this.

Sources have informed TEAMtalk that Everton continue to back Dyche and have no immediate plans to sack him. Their recent win against Crystal Palace has also helped his cause.

However, our correspondent Rudy Galetti has been informed that TFG have held informal discussions with Sarri about him taking the Everton job.

The group, who also own AS Roma, are prepared to bring in a new manager if Everton’s results do not improve in the run-up to the New Year.

According to Italian outlet InterLive, Sarri is the ‘first name’ on TFG’s shortlist to replace Dyche and they are ready to back him with a big signing in January – Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski.

Sarri wants Inter Milan star at Everton – report

Sources close to Everton insist that they believe in Dyche to turn the club’s poor form around and expect him to remain in post until the end of the season at least, which is when his contract expires.

But with Everton set to enter an exciting era in a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season, TFG may well look to replace him with a big name, just as they did at Roma when they appointed Jose Mourinho.

TFG are planning a full-scale review of the operational running of the Toffees when they take over and Dyche’s performance as manager WILL be one of the things they look at.

Everton sources say that any talk of new managers and their reported transfer targets are premature, but Zielinski would certainly be an exciting addition.

Zielinski has played under Sarri before with Empoli and Napoli and has a good relationship with the former Chelsea boss, which you can ready about in the last section of this article.

The idea that the 30-year-old midfielder would be willing to ditch Champions League side Inter Milan for Everton seems unlikely, even if TFG are ‘willing to back Sarri in the January window.’

But Zielinski has fallen down the pecking order at the San Siro and is yet to start a Serie A game this term, so that could offer Sarri some hope in his reported pursuit of the Polish international.

Everton stance on Calvert-Lewin, Branthwaite exits revealed

Meanwhile, Everton are fully focused on keeping their best players at Goodison Park and that includes striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is out of contract next summer.

Contrary to reports, we understand that Everton haven’t given up on tying Calvert-Lewin down to a new deal and have offered him a lucrative contract.

Newcastle and clubs around Europe are interested in the England striker, who could be available for a cut-price fee in January or on a free transfer next summer, as things stand.

But Everton haven’t given up on Calvert-Lewin penning fresh terms before January. The 27-year-old maintains a positive relationship with the club and isn’t actively pushing for a departure.

Centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite remains a target for Manchester United and they are reportedly considering a new bid for him in 2025 after seeing three rejected over the summer.

But reports suggest that Everton’s rivals Liverpool are also interested in Branthwaite and are considering a move for him in January.

We understand that the Toffees’ position on selling Branthwaite hasn’t changed. They won’t accept less than £75m for him and are extremely unlikely to let him leave in January for any price.

IN FOCUS: Maurizio Sarri and Piotr Zielinski

There are countless instances in footballing history of a particular coach being of heightened importance to a player’s journey – and that was the case with Zielinski and Sarri.

They first crossed paths in 2014, when Udinese sent Zielinski on loan to Sarri’s Empoli. During the 2014-15 season, Sarri used Zielinski 30 times between Serie A (in which Empoli finished 15th) and the Coppa Italia (in which Empoli reached the round of 16), contributing three assists.

Sarri’s work with Empoli earned him the Napoli job in 2015, but it had already been arranged for Zielinski to spend a second season on loan with Empoli. Now under the tutelage of Marco Giampaolo, Zielinski was part of an Empoli side that finished 10th; he played 36 times and scored five goals.

When Zielinski became available again in 2016, Sarri took the opportunity to reunite with him, bringing the Poland international to Napoli for €16m.

“Sarri is a great Coach with wonderful ideas,” Zielinski said a few months into their reunion.

Zielinski went on to enjoy his busiest season yet, playing 47 times and scoring six goals (the same as the number of assists he made). Napoli finished third in Serie A, while Zielinski got to experience Champions League football for the first time.

The 2017-18 season would be the last – for now – in which Zielinski and Sarri would work together. Once again, the midfielder made 47 appearances – this time improving his goal tally to seven, but only making one assist – as Napoli finished second in Serie A, four points behind winners Juventus. It was the closest they had come to the summit in terms of the points gap since their 1990 Scudetto.

Sarri was appointed by Chelsea at the end of the season, but Zielinski would complete another six years of service to Napoli.

As Sarri left for Chelsea, Zielinski said he had “been brilliant” during an interview with the media in his native country, and as the midfielder prepared to play against his former boss once he was back in Italy with Juventus, he said how Sarri “was the coach who brought me here and I owe him a lot.”

He did, though, previously downplay the idea of reuniting with Sarri when there were rumours of the Italian tactician wanting him in Turin.

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