Ellis Simms Sunderland deal does not include buy option for Everton loan star
Ellis Simms is thriving on loan at Sunderland this season, and Everton made sure not to include a buy option according to the Sunderland Echo.
Simms has netted five goals and recorded two assists for the Black Cats in the Championship this season, helping Sunderland up to 10th in the table.
The 21-year-old joined Tony Mowbray’s side on loan this season to try and gain some crucial first-team experience, and Frank Lampard couldn’t have asked for a much better spell from his young striker.
However, with Sunderland growing more and more attached to the Everton academy graduate, Toffees fans will be glad to hear that the club didn’t include a buy option when his loan deal ends.
As reported by the Sunderland Echo: “For two reasons you’d expect Sunderland to go for a striker, the first being that they very obviously cannot afford a repeat of the long spell without one that so undermined Mowbray’s progress.
“The other is in terms of their long-term squad planning – Simms is on loan without an option to buy.”
First-team quality?
If Simms continues his form in Wearside and then carries his performances back to Goodison Park, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be targeting a first-team spot next season.
Neal Maupay is still settling in at the club and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s constant injury issues open up a spot in the squad for a young striker to fill his boots.
Simms is proving that he knows his way to goal and experiencing the physicality and demands of the Championship will help him prepare for the challenges that await in the Premier League.
Lampard will still want to dip into the transfer market to pick up some new forward players, but Simms’ impressive form on loan could save him a major headache when it comes to depth up front.
Losing Simms to a buy-option would have been a huge blow, but the club refusing to include one shows the trust that Lampard and his staff have in Simms and his future potential.