Everton aren’t guaranteed to make £8 million from Ellis Simms’ departure.
That’s according to Coventry Live, who have reported that the transfer fee will depend on a number of add-ons.
The Toffees were said to value the striker between £6-10 million as a number of Championship clubs fought over his signature.
Coventry City have now confirmed the arrival of Simms on a four-year deal, with previous reports claiming they were forking out £8m to bring him to the Midlands.
However, the report has claimed that the Sky Blues will pay an initial £3.5m rising to £5m depending on appearances and goals, before reaching £8m if they gain promotion to the Premier League.
Sean Dyche’s side will be hoping to eventually rake in the whole fee as they look to rebuild their squad, however they certainly wouldn’t see the full £8m until next summer at the earliest.
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How much will Everton earn after Ellis Simms’ exit?
Everton can’t be disappointed with the initial £3.5m fee they will earn this summer, given that that is probably how much Ellis Simms is actually worth.
The forward has only played around six months of Championship football in his career and Sunderland fans were astonished by his reported price tag.
However, it still remains very likely that Coventry will have to fork out more cash.
It’s unclear how many appearances and goals are needed for the next instalment, though Simms’ record for the Black Cats make that goal seem pretty reachable.
Meanwhile, the Sky Blues could be within a chance of winning promotion after reaching last season’s play-offs. Though whether that is next year is unknown, given how strong the second tier is looking.
Mark Robins’ side have also lost Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon, with Simms set to replace him. They will be hoping the 22-year-old can replicate Gyokeres’ goalscoring record, though it would be a big ask.