Sean Dyche: Burnley manager will be supported in summer transfer window, says chairman Alan Pace

Sean Dyche will have the financial support he requires to enhance his squad in the summer transfer window, says Burnley chairman Alan Pace.

Under the previous chairman Mike Garlick, who departed the Clarets in 2020 after a five-year tenure, Dyche was believed to have been frustrated at times with a lack of backing in the transfer market.

He was critical of the club's hierarchy following the departures of Jeff Hendrick, Joe Hart, and Aaron Lennon on free transfers at the end of last season, saying the board could have acted sooner to try and renew their deals, but he admitted that the club was in a "good place financially".

Pace's ALK Capital Investment Group's takeover just prior to the January transfer window prompted fresh optimism around Turf Moor concerning transfers.

Although only one acquisition was made earlier this year, the Burnley chairman has hinted that there could be more arrivals when the next window opens and that Dyche, who previously has often operated with a tight budget and a small squad, will be given sufficient support.

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The American businessman told Sky Sports News: "Do I think that we will be able to support him in the way that he would like? Yes, I absolutely do.

"Otherwise we wouldn't have done this and we wouldn't have the conversations and it would be good for him to pick it up and go somewhere else.

"I think we can support him in the way he would like to be supported and we can look at that future together and say that future is a very long-lasting one.

"The proof is in the pudding and we will need to deliver on that but I'm very confident that when we put our heads together we will be fine."

Pace insists that Burnley will need to be pragmatic with their summer spending amid an unpredictable market caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but he says plans are already underway ahead of the upcoming window.

The Burnley chairman added: "I learned quite a bit in the first transfer window, we came a day before that window opened. This isn't Fantasy Football, I can't just say: We'd like this player, let's go and get them.

"There's a lot of people involved in it and it's a lot more challenging than people really take into consideration.

"We've learned from some of that and hopefully we won't make some of the same mistakes, it wasn't like we weren't trying to get players before it just wasn't as successful as we would have liked.

"We're set, we spent all day yesterday and we spent several days over the past month getting ready for this window. At the same time, we aren't just going to go and spend willy-nilly.

"We need to go in and take a look at what Sean has requested and what we can do to support that. How does it play out over multiple years.

"I think the expectation is that we need to step up and support in the right way. I think he's been used to maybe not having what may or may not have been available in the way that he would have liked it…

"I think we can support him really well but it also comes back to what does the market really let you do."

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'I expect Dyche to stay for next year and beyond'

Dyche has one year remaining on his existing contract at Turf Moor and has said he expects talks over extending his stay as manager to commence in the coming weeks.

The 49-year-old guided Burnley to their second promotion to the top flight under his leadership in the 2015/16 campaign and has helped solidify their status as an established Premier League club. The Clarets even qualified for European football for the first time in over half a century with a seventh-placed league finish in 2017/18.

With Burnley having earned their Premier League status for another season after drawing with Fulham, Pace has made his intentions clear, revealing that he wants the Burnley boss to remain in his post for next season and "beyond" in order to help the Clarets progress further.

He added: "I've been very clear from day one we have a tremendous amount of respect, and I have a lot of personal respect for Sean and what he has done here. Seven out of his eight years here in the Premier League, with counting next year.

"He's hugely important, he has built that knowledge base within the coaching staff, the ability to bring a culture and deliver this club at a different level, there is no doubt about that.

"That consistency is very valuable. I certainly expect him to be here next year and beyond. Watch this space and we'll hopefully have lots to talk about for many years to come.

"He has good reason to be proud of what's here and on the back of him and the staff and the players that have created this.

"We are a beneficiary just like the community here and we would like to continue to participate in that going forward but he has a tremendous part to play in that."

On rumours that Dyche's success has provoked interest from other clubs, Pace said: "Just like any player, if you have a tremendous player, other teams would want that tremendous player on their team as well - so nothing about that would be surprising nor something that we would speculate either way.

"Good on him that people are interested, but that doesn't mean that we've declined our interest at all either."

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Burnley partners with clubs across British Isles

Burnley are expanding their network of club partners across the British Isles in order to enhance the Clarets' scouting network, to share coaching and education expertise, and to further grow their academy and development systems.

Scottish Championship club Ayr United, 2007 League of Ireland First Division winners Cobh Ramblers, Portadown of the NIFL Premiership and Cymru North team Llandudno will all become strategic partner clubs of Burnley.

On the partnership announcement, Pace said: "This is an exciting opportunity for us to grow Burnley's footprint and profile in every corner of the British Isles and benefit from working with some fantastic clubs on our doorstep.

"We look forward to developing a strong working relationship with Ayr United, Cobh Ramblers, Portadown and Llandudno which will no doubt benefit the clubs, the coaches and their players for many years to come.

"This is very much the first step in our plans to expand the football network of Burnley, build the relevance of our club beyond the North West of England and ensure that Burnley's academy continues to be a high-performance hotbed for future first-team players and international footballers."

Matt Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Burnley, added: "While there are clear benefits to the football side of the club, I believe there will also be significant benefits both operationally and commercially for all sides.

"None of us are naïve enough to think we know it all, and I am sure we can learn from our partner clubs as much as they can learn from us.

"We wanted to partner with clubs we felt would fit with what we stand for. The four clubs are at the heart of their local communities, have a passionate fan base and have chairmen and directors, who like Alan Pace and his team are ambitious and constantly looking to improve.

"We have developed a great understanding with Portadown in recent seasons and this is a natural step for us both and our relationship with Cobh can be traced back to 1921 when the Clarets were crowned League Champions, prompting the newly formed club in Ireland to wear the famous claret and blue. In addition they are currently managed by our former defender Stuart Ashton.

"Like ourselves Ayr have a relatively new Chairman who has a real ambition to push the club forward and challenge for promotion to the SPL, while our friends at Llandudno are keen implement a professional approach to their club and I couldn't be more delighted to welcome all four teams on the journey with us."

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