Everton vie for Brentford's latest star striker

If he scores at the rate Watkins does, Yes! If he scores at the rate Benrahma does, No.

I rate Toney, he has pace and looks a natural goal scorer, it's a step up but Watkins did okay at Villa.

I'd rather have him than the touted Arnautovic and Mitrovic, a pair of sulkers.

Very good player but he'd be a strange signing for us. Similar to Calvert-Lewin so wouldn't complement him in the First XI. And we never play 2 up top unless it's Richarlison playing a bit wider or deeper. Plus he'd surely cost about £35M to £40M. So that's a lot of transfer kitty to spend on someone who'd be on the bench a lot of the time. Unless of course we're going to sell Calvert-Lewin...

If they are too similar then maybe it won't work, Robert, but if they could sort it out they would be an unbelievable handful. Watching Leicester last night showed the value of having two forwards on the same wavelength.

I remember Ferguson playing upfront with Campbell, alright in small doses but it never looked like it would work long-term. Then I remember Sharp & Gray, and the havoc they used to create, albeit in a much better team.

Iheanacho and Vardy work okay because they do different jobs (like Vardy and Okazaki previously). One has to play wider or deeper to accommodate the other. We could definitely use another forward, but someone in the (dare I say it) Firminho mould - rather than another replica Number 9.

Everton will be in for an exceptional attacking right-sided player, guaranteed.

If any player fits the bill, then I am sure Carlo and Marcel will have done their homework.

Yes Martin, Marcel certainly did his homework with Iwoah... lwaaaa, eeehooo... urgh

Wibble

As we used to send young players out on loan to Brentford (and Fleetwood) and they seem not only to be getting results that have taken them to the play-offs but produced a couple of good strikers, then perhaps we might be better contracting their coaches?

In the meantime, how much is it going to cost us to have promising talent waiting for the hourly sub, League Cup game or somebody to be injured? Or are we moving Richarlison wide left and dropping somebody else which is not what we did with Kean.

I am not sure about this one, unless Man Utd are lining up a £100M offer for Dom and he fancies it.

I think we will be after a quality right winger or forward as one of our main priorities. Also, I think we will not be getting involved in any spiralling auction.

The four players last window were signed quite efficiently compared to previous windows. Brands, I thought, did his preparatory work very well; it's important and has been a bit forgotten about.

I am hoping for more of the same professionalism this window from our Director of Football, well-targeted players and the groundwork for the signing done and dusted before the media vultures start trying to put a spanner in the works.

The players we will be looking at? I leave that to Robert, Sam and others but there must be five or six contenders. Sarr at Watford? Bailey? Whoever it is has to bring some goals, assists, pace and athleticism. As well as having some technical ability too. (Not too much to ask, is it?)

Alan (9),

Talking about coaches, Simms seems to have improved in his short time at Blackpool. The coach there is taking a lot of time with him and although aware of Simms's shortcomings, is talking up his attributes.

Is Simms's contract up this summer? Or has he got another year with us?

I think Simms's contract is up this summer, Dave.

Usually that's a good reason to have a swath of clickbait posts on t'Interweb, and lots of talk about Everton needing to 'take action'...

I do need to update his profile. I might have to steal a few of your choice lines!

They put the contract date on some of the official bio pages...

This one is the best yet:

Ellis Simms profile page at Evertonfc.com

Hang on... I think I'm looking at the date his Blackpool loan contract ends... May 2021.

According to our somewhat more forthcoming profile page, he signed a 2-year deal at Everton in 2019. I'll see if I can find any updates since.

Well, this article dated today by Patrick Boyland in The Athletic (which is very upbeat and well worth a read) seems to suggest he has another year:

“What happens beyond the summer is unclear. Simms will soon enter the final year of his Everton contract and is in the dark over his future.”

That would seem to suggest that his original professional contract was for 3 years, not 2. But all my other sources say his contract ends this summer.

A good outcome would be for Simms to get promoted with Blackpool and continue his development. He's not a teen prodigy like Defoe at Bournemouth years ago - but he's now demonstrated himself to be an able third tier striker - and after another season or two at Championship level could conceivably be a useful striker in the Prem.

Brentford fan here:Toney is excellent.Attitude spot on,takes a lot of punishment from opposition with little protection from referees..works very hard for the team,scores goals,defends well,link-up play outstanding.His movement causes problems for defenders.However,he is rather similar to Calvert-Lewin and not certain how well they would combine as they tend to play in the same areas.My personal view is that he is a slight improvement on Ollie Watkins,although O.W.'s last season at Griffin Park was brilliant.
Also,Brentford are one of the few EFL clubs that are financially secure so he would not come cheap.
Anyway,hope we will meet next season.The last league game between the two clubs would have been 1947/48.

I wonder if Blackpool will want to keep Ellis Simms, if they get promoted, or I wonder if Ipswich Town come in for him now that it looks like Francis Jeffers, is going to join Paul Cook's back room staff?

This proposed signing does remind me of when we was linked with James McFadden who seemed a very similar player to Wayne Rooney who we subsequently sold to Man United. If that happens then hopefully the consequences are better.

This is the type of Striker we need,quick,skillful and knows where the goal is,and could be the perfect foil for young Dom.

The lad at Blackburn,Armstrong looks very decent too,he just loves scoring goals...both would be ideal in fact if we do secure any kind of European footy.

Our teams could meet up in either of the domestic cups next season John#17 if you don't go up via the play-offs (hope you do like)...good attacking side Brentford,like yer Gaffer too...talks sense,am sure Toney will fetch a decent price too.

I see Toney and Dom as a right handful for C.Bs,working together as Gray and Sharpy did.

John, 17
Good luck, you deserve to go up, finishing 3rd. Will be entertaining having another free scoring team in the league. Leeds have been a breath of fresh air. The football team, not the place

I'm shocked to see that John's post #17 has been there for well over 4 hours & nobody's posted that they were there for that last League match he mentioned!

Dennis, Darren Hind was probably at that game. Him or Rob Halligan.

Yes Colin, home and away

I vaguely remember him as a prospect at Newcastle but to his credit he has dropped down the league to better himself and probably deserves a chance back up.

Not sure how he would be a foil to DCL, they are very similar players, both coming alive in the 6-yard box. He does also take penalties, though would he for us?

Anyhow, feel free to judge for yourselves;

Link

I saw him a little bit when he was playing for Peterborough. He was a little bit raw then but an obvious talent. How he would cope against more disciplined and pragmatic centre backs in the Premier League is the big question.

In spite of his height, he is a long way off Calvert-Lewin in the air but I would say that, running at defences, he is much better than our current options. He is very quick and keeps the ball really well.

But all this was against League One defences. At £35-£40M, he would be a real gamble.