The Everton view on Ellis Simms as Sunderland eye striker deals ahead of summer transfer window

Sunderland are looking to bolster their striker options this summer - but could they look to re-sign Ellis Simms from Everton?

The 22-year-old was surprisingly recalled by The Toffees in January after impressing on loan at the Stadium of Light during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign.

Sunderland tried to bring Simms back to Wearside on transfer deadline day but were told the forward was unavailable, with Everton failing to sign another striker during their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Despite scoring a memorable equaliser against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Simms would only start two Premier League games for Everton after returning to Goodison Park, raising question marks over his long-term future at the club with just a year left on his contract.

To find out more, we caught up with Everton reporter Joe Thomas from the Liverpool Echo to ask about the striker’s situation:

How would you describe Simms’ second half of the season at Everton?

JT: “Simms had a rollercoaster of a season after his return to Everton. There were some real highs - he started in the Merseyside derby and at Old Trafford against Manchester United and scored a wonderful first senior goal to earn a valuable point at Chelsea.

“But he was not quite able to cement himself as Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s backup despite Everton desperately needing a reliable forward option.

“This was not always his fault - one of the real issues facing Simms and others, including Neal Maupay, has been the lack of flexibility to play to a striker who does not have the same attributes as Calvert-Lewin.”

“The last few weeks of the season when Calvert-Lewin got injured again, Everton really needed any kind of idea for a striker and by the end of it Simms was probably the last choice.

“Gray started up front in the last game of the season, Maupay got chances, but Simms wasn’t really there.”

What are the plans for him this summer and could he leave the club?

JT: “This will be a big summer for Simms and what will happen next is unclear.

“His goal against Chelsea was instinctive and clinical and it came after he had the courage to approach Sean Dyche on the training ground and seek advice on how to make an impact. It was a genuine highlight, not just for the player but for the club and fans, many of whom want to see him do well.

“Everton’s priority this summer will be the attacking unit, most importantly the striking options. Calvert-Lewin has continued to suffer misfortune with injury and there is a general acceptance the signing of Maupay has not worked out as hoped.

“The question for Dyche and director of football Kevin Thelwell will be two-fold: Firstly, with other areas also in need of strengthening, how many strikers do they need to feel confident they can retain a threat even if Calvert-Lewin has more bad luck? Secondly, has Simms shown enough over the past few months to warrant being given a chance?

“Everton may have seen enough, and finances may be tight enough, to keep him as a third or fourth choice striker. But if they have not seen enough then any money they can get for him could fund deals elsewhere and, with his contract set to expire next summer, this window is the last chance to get any real money for him.”

Have there been any suggestions he could sign a new contract?

JT: “What they have done before, they did it with Nathan Broadhead who was a similar age, where some of these young lads probably aren’t going to make it at Everton, they still give them contracts just so they can sell them for a bit of money a bit later.

“Broadhead clearly didn’t have a future at Everton but they gave him a new contract and then sold him for £1million plus to Ipswich, so at least they made a decent chunk of money.

“For Simms he didn’t really cost them anything so if they could get a couple of million for him. His stock is probably at its highest now because he’s scored goals at Hearts, scored goals at Sunderland, had that big moment against Chelsea.

“I think Dyche is going to have to look at every player and make a serious decision. If they could get a couple of million for him he might fund something somewhere else.

“He will definitely have a price and think he’s attainable for Sunderland if they could put together the right deal.”

Do you think he could still make it at Everton?

“I don’t think Simms had a long-term future at Everton while Frank Lampard was in charge, even when he was brought back from Sunderland in January it was seen very much as a short term measure while reinforcements - that did not arrive - were sought.

“Simms showed enough in that goal against Chelsea to show he is a natural goalscorer - something he did at Sunderland and Hearts as well. But he was used sparingly in the final weeks of the season, suggesting an out-of-position Gray and Maupay were ahead of him.

“The decision will likely have been made already and be based on Dyche’s views having watched him since late January. But it may simply come down to how much another club would be willing to pay for him.

“Another factor will be the progress of academy striker Tom Cannon, who spent the second half of the season at Preston and impressed.”