Sean Dyche must sell 22-year-old Ellis Simms this summer if the Everton boss doesn’t fancy the young striker.
Simms was recalled early from his loan deal at Sunderland in January as the Blues desperately needed reinforcements up front.
However, even in the absence of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dyche seemed to favour the insipid Neal Maupay, or picked Demarai Gray to act as a makeshift striker.
Indeed, following Simms’ return to Goodison Park, the forward only played 219 minutes of Premier League football across 11 appearances.
The young striker managed a solitary goal during that time, though it was an important one as the Oldham-born player bagged a late equaliser at Stamford Bridge in March’s 2-2 draw.
However, despite scoring goals at every academy level for Everton, followed by successful loan spells at Blackpool, Hearts and Sunderland, Simms looked off the pace at Premier League level when he got minutes on the pitch.
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Everton must support Simms or allow him to leave
Though there were high hopes for the academy graduate, at 22-years-old, there is a feeling of now or never for Simms at Everton, especially with just one year remaining on his current contract.
If Sean Dyche does not see a future for the forward at Everton, the Blues must look to cash in on the 22-year-old this summer to avoid losing him for free next year.
Of course, such a sale may not generate a large amount of money to reinvest, but if we can recoup something from the young man and free up some space on the wage bill, it could assist Dyche in his transfer business.
No doubt, given his scoring prowess at the Stadium of Light during the first half of the campaign, plenty of Championship clubs could look at Simms as an option this summer, and it might be the best outcome for both the player and Everton.