Sunderland set to receive major Ellis Simms boost, claims fresh report

Could Everton striker Ellis Simms return to Sunderland after all?

Sunderland could yet still re-sign Ellis Simms this month should Everton land their striker targets, according to a fresh report.

Everton are embroiled in turmoil for now, with them sitting precariously in the Premier League relegation zone and managerless after sacking Frank Lampard.

They are set to appoint former Burnley boss Sean Dyche, though, and that could work to Sunderland’s advantage in that he is already very familiar with the Everton squad.

The Sunderland Echo report that sources close to the Toffees claim Simms will be allowed to leave as long as Everton sign a new striker. In that sense, Newcastle could ultimately do Sunderland a favour as Everton will be using the money from the Magpies’ £40million deal for Anthony Gerrard to find their own signings.

Sunderland signed a new striker of their own on Friday, with Joel Gelhardt arriving from Leeds on loan. Interestingly, though, Gelhardt took the number 28 shirt rather than the number nine shirt vacated by Simms.

"With what's going on at Everton, it looks pretty unlikely that Ellis will be coming back,” Mowbray said on Thursday.

“They haven't got a manager and if I was going in there, I'd want to see all the players on the grass and see if they might be able to help. That looks like a really tight thing to rely on, because he might well not come back.

"So our job is to cover all our bases so that we have at least one, if not two, additional strikers in the building."

Things look like they may be changing a little, though, so it’s one to keep an eye on.

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