Sean Dyche is now considering letting Ellis Simms leave Everton to fund his plans for the summer transfer window amid widespread Championship interest in the striker.
That is according to TEAMtalk, which reports that Middlesbrough have now joined Ipswich Town, Sunderland and Stoke City with an interest in Simms. The Riverside natives are keen to fight their second-tier rivals for the 22-year-old’s signature to boost their attacking ranks.
Boro trail the likes of the Tractor Boys, Black Cats and Potters for his signature, though. The North East club have only just joined the queue of clubs lining up to take Simms away from Merseyside. Middlesbrough have turned to Simms amid fears they may lose Chuba Akpom.
Middlesbrough enter the race for Ellis Simms’ transfer
But while Middlesbrough admire what Simms could offer next season, Ipswich, Sunderland and Stoke have already made enquiries to Everton to discuss his transfer. The striker caught the attention of a raft of Championship clubs having shone on loan at Sunderland last term.
Frank Lampard recalled Simms to Everton at the start of the January window shortly before Farhad Moshiri sacked the coach. He had scored seven and assisted two goals in 17 league games for Sunderland. Yet Simms would only start in two of his 11 Premier League outings.
Simms still managed to score once through his 219 minutes of top-flight football, netting in the Toffees’ 2-2 draw at Chelsea. But Dyche is considering cashing in on the vast interest in Simms’ transfer with the striker entering the final year of his contract at Everton on July 1.
Sean Dyche considers cashing in after Everton receive a bid
Dyche is potentially willing to watch Simms walk away from Goodison Park as he strives to sign two new strikers. While Sheffield Wednesday also hold a strong interest in the transfer of Simms, as per The Northern Echo earlier in June. But any exit may not raise many funds.
That is because The Sun also claimed in print earlier this month that Ipswich made Everton a £3.5m bid for Simms’ transfer. The forward has shown he can cut it in the Championship. He has also delivered in League One and in Scotland in prior spells with Blackpool and Hearts.
Simms helped Blackpool reach the League One play-off final in 2021 with 10 goals and two assists. He then moved to Hearts in 2022 and offered seven goals and an assist to see then-manager Robbie Neilson call Simms an ‘outstanding’ player – one now highly sought-after.
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