Everton v Nottingham Forest: Ellis Simms transfer claim made live on BBC
Paul Robinson insists Everton would re-sign Ellis Simms from Coventry City “in a heartbeat” if they could.
The Toffees sold young striker Simms to the Championship club in July 2023 for a reported £8million [talkSPORT].
Given Everton’s struggles in front of goal this season, Robinson believes the Coventry ace would instantly improve the squad.
“Everton would take Ellis Simms back into the squad in a heartbeat,” Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live [21 April, 1:26pm] ahead of the Nottingham Forest game.
“Everton in general are struggling to score. You look at their total for the season and there is only Sheffield United who have scored less than them in the season.”
How many goals did Ellis Simms score for Everton?
Simms played 12 games for Everton, each of those coming in the Premier League, and scored one goal.
The 23-year-old’s solitary strike came in dramatic circumstances as he netted in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea in the second half of last season.
That came after Simms had been recalled from a loan spell with Sunderland, where he looked very impressive during a short-term loan.
Ipswich, Sunderland and Coventry each showed an interest in the Everton academy product in the summer, with the latter winning the race.
The fact the Toffees decided to cash in on Simms came as a surprise at the time, and Robinson is right in what he says.
Ultimately, Simms was – and is – a better option than Beto and Youssef Chermiti, who were brought in last summer.
Let’s just hope lessons have been learned ahead of the coming summer transfer window.
In other Everton news, a reporter has suggested that administration is now the most likely outcome for the Toffees.
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