Everton are said to be seeking between £7m and £10m for Ellis Simms amid interest from three Championship clubs.
Simms, who has one year remaining on his current contract, made 17 appearances in the second tier last season at Sunderland before being recalled by the Blues during the January transfer window.
The 22-year-old featured a total of 11 times during the second half of 2022/23 for Everton, though only two of these appearances were starts. An important decision now awaits as regards the future of the forward, who has no shortage of suitors after making his mark in each of his last three loan spells away from Merseyside.
Indeed, The Times have stated Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Swansea City are all eyeing Simms as they look to bolster their attacking units. Coventry are set to lose star striker Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting CP in a deal worth £18.5m and Swansea could soon find themselves in a similar position as clubs continue to circle for their Dutch talisman, Joel Piroe. Ipswich, meanwhile, will be looking for additional firepower upon their return to the Championship following their four-year exile.
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Sunderland have held talks over a deal for Simms, having witnessed him flourish during their push for promotion last term, though the ECHO recently reported that senior figures at the Stadium of Light have fears over being priced out of a move.
The Black Cats' boss Tony Mowbray spoke openly of his desire to see Simms return to the North East after learning of his recall at the start of this year. He said: "Ellis Simms, if he comes back will be huge for this football club, because he gives us a focal point at the front end of the pitch. He scored some massively important goals before he was recalled to Everton."
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, meanwhile, refused to comment on speculation when quizzed on Everton's No.50 after a pre-season friendly win on Saturday afternoon. "It's not our place to speak about any players that aren't ours," he told the East Anglian Daily Times. "There's lots of speculation at this time of year - a lot of it incorrect. We certainly won't comment until anything is further down the line."
