Sean Dyche has ruled out Everton selling Dominic Calvert-Lewin in January.
Calvert-Lewin will be free to enter into talks with potential suitors at the start of next year due to being in the final months of his Goodison Park contract.
Talks over a new deal for the one-time England international have stalled amid growing fears he could become the Blues’ latest prized asset sacrificed.
But Dyche insists he and director of football Kevin Thelwell remain aligned in refusing to sell Calvert-Lewin for a reduced fee in the New Year.
He said: “I think the bigger prize in this case is Premier League football for Everton Football Club.
“The number one priority since I’ve been here is safeguarding our status.
“Along the journey, we’ve obviously had to bring money in but fortunately have never been pushed as far as giving players away for any cost.
“We can still make decisions on situations and I can’t see anything other than Dom certainly being here until the end of his contract and then hopefully beyond.
“I have an opinion of course on player trading, players in, players out, contracts.
“Kev will take care of the business side of the club and we’ve worked pretty well together so far. We are pretty much aligned in what we think.”
The Everton manager also believes that Calvert-Lewin may hold off on a decision over his long-term future until the club’s takeover is resolved.
A buyout buyout of Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1% share by the Friedkin Group is progressing but unlikely to be resolved before December at the earliest.
“That would be fair, wouldn’t it? Just wait and see, the bigger picture,” added Dyche.
“He’s been here quite a long time. He might be thinking, ‘which way is the club going? Which way am I going? What’s my part in it?’. I don’t think that would be unreasonable.
“Until the deal is actually done, it is just a pointless task to start going ‘Oh yeah, what if this, what if that’.”