Club interested in young £3.4m Everton man again after Dyche blocked January move

The Everton attack will undergo changes and transformation this summer as the Toffees look to sign a potent forward in the coming months of the transfer window. The arrival of a new striker will certainly raise questions over the futures of Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms.

The Toffees were in search of a striker in January. Striker Simms was on loan at Sunderland and had been flying in the first six months of his loan spell. He had netted seven goals in 17 Championship games and was enjoying his time at the Stadium of Light. EFC decided to recall the youngster in a bid to add depth to the vulnerable attack.

Simms made a total of 11 Premier League appearances in the second half of the season, netting one goal, his debut goal in the Premier League. Looking back, that goal against Chelsea in the 89th minute was pivotal as EFC walked away with a draw and in the grand scheme of things, that goal proved to be pivotal as the Toffees escaped relegation by just two points.

Sunderland tracking Everton striker Ellis Simms

EFC have been linked to several strikers this month. Free agent Moussa Dembele, Coventry City forward Viktor Gyokeres, Udinese’s Beto and Almeria striker El Bilal Toure are some of the names that have been regularly linked with a move to Everton.

The Toffees may also see exits in the strike department as Maupay has been linked with a move to Salernitana. According to Nothern Echo, Sunderland will monitor Simms’ situation throughout the summer as the future of EFC’s striker remains uncertain. The Black Cats were left impressed by Simms during his loan assignment and wanted the forward to continue.

However, Everton recalled Simms. In the final days of the winter transfer window, Dyche blocked a move for Simms to return to Sunderland. Had the Merseysiders been successful in signing a striker, the 22 year old would have been loaned back to Sunderland.

The 22 year old will enter the final year of his contract this summer and so far there have been no indications about a new deal being offered to the Englishman. With the arrival of a new striker, minutes will further reduce for Simms as he is likely to only remain a sporadic option for the first team.

If EFC manage to land a forward, loaning Simms out will be a sensible move for the development of the striker.

Should EFC loan out Ellis Simms?