Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has suggested that Ellis Simms could yet make an unexpected return to the Stadium of Light before the January Transfer window closes, despite being recalled by Everton earlier this month.
The 22-year-old Simms had scored 7 goals in 14 games for the Championship club following his move to the north-east last summer, but was recalled to Goodison Park in the first week of the New Year, prompting speculation about Everton’s financial constraints, though this was rebuffed by Lampard.
However, despite a return to Merseyside halfway through his loan deal with Sunderland, the Black Cats manager has stated that Simms may well be on the move once more before the window shuts, though it could be reliant on what business Everton manage to conduct.
Mowbray stated, “They’re either keeping him or he’s coming back here. They might sign a £50m centre-forward, then they have Calvert-Lewin and a couple of other options who can play off the front. It depends what Frank (Lampard) thinks really.
“It’s their decision, not ours, but what we do know is if the phone rings and they let him back out, he can come here and by then we might have signed a young striker, let’s wait and see.”
Frankly, there is more chance of me going on loan to Sunderland than Everton having £50 million to spend on a forward this month, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury record makes him far too unreliable to depend on for the remainder of the campaign.
It is far more likely that Everton will look to the loan market, with any permanent transfers coming in well below Mowbray’s predicted number, assuming we actually make any.
However, the very fact that a potential return to Sunderland has been mentioned in relation to Simms suggests that the youngster was recalled in case Everton fail to secure a much-needed striker this month, a further worrying sign of the incompetence of those running the club.