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Ipswich retain interest in signing Simms
Ipswich Town are believed to have made an inquiry about Ellis Simms amid speculation that Everton could let the striker go this summer.
An earlier tabloid report claiming that the East Anglian club had tabled a £3.5m offer for the 22-year-old striker was played down but now there are suggestions, most notably from insider El Bobble and independent journalist Pete O'Rourke, that the Blues have knocked back a firm bid of £4m.
There is some confusion around the talk, with Inside Futbol rejecting the claims, arguing, as independent Ipswich fan site, TWTD, did this month, that that fee is significantly above what the Tractor Boys are willing to pay.
Simms struggled to get a start in the Everton side after being recalled from a loan spell at Sunderland in January, that despite coming on against Chelsea to score a vital late equaliser at Stamford Bridge in a 2-2 draw.
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He had scored 7 goals in 14 starts on Wearside but while he struggled to impress Sean Dyche, the young player has shown that he can score goals at almost every level of football in England, as well as in the Scottish Premiership where had a stint on loan with Hearts.
Reader Comments (32)
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2 Posted 14/06/2023 at 14:25:33
3 Posted 14/06/2023 at 14:28:30
4 Posted 14/06/2023 at 15:17:37
Or is it a famous case of "If they're not banging 'em in at 16, it ain't neva gonna happen"?
5 Posted 14/06/2023 at 15:25:10
Everton are the back to front club or have been, buying players for far too much and giving them long contracts then selling far too cheaply and hastily.
Hopefully things are starting to change except for the one change we are all waiting for that's two days overdue already!
6 Posted 14/06/2023 at 15:27:04
£3.5m does seem very low for someone who you'd safely assume will get 15+ goals in the Championship over a full season.
There's a good chance he'll end up at either Coventry or Swansea to replace either of Gyokeres or Piroe, particularly if we buy either player.
7 Posted 14/06/2023 at 15:53:46
He's not ready to be a regular Premier League starter, but he's certainly progressing and worth keeping.
I've seen less of Cannon but I'd argue he's a better all round player than Simms but Simms is a more Dyche style striker.
Sadly I'm sure we will lose both players for less than £5M before wasting £15M on someone of equal ability.
8 Posted 14/06/2023 at 15:55:31
Bill Kenwright: Why'd you do that?
KT: You sent me a memo, 'Sell another striker, cheaply!'
BK: Damn! I meant 'Buy another striker, cheaply!' I always get them two muddled up.
9 Posted 14/06/2023 at 16:02:41
I feel he needs to bulk up a bit more and improve his heading ability and hold up play but nobody can question the way he rounded Koulibaly and scored a beaut.
I would have hoped good coaching under Dyche would turn all that promise into a good Premiership player but I trust Dyche to get this right and hope the "new board" don't sell him cheap.
10 Posted 14/06/2023 at 16:24:47
I'd reckon best thing would be a two year contract extension and then send him back to championship.
Loan him to a mid table team and if he can bang in 15-20 goals then next summer we either bring him back or sell him for £10-15m.
Of if anyone is happy to pay £6m+ for him now then take it. Dyche doesn't fancy him so not sure he'll get the chances at Everton.
11 Posted 14/06/2023 at 16:58:52
12 Posted 14/06/2023 at 17:27:14
If we are going to sell him now to get much needed funds we need to add a low buy back fee or a 50% of next transfer fee over the original price we sell him for just in case he goes for big money in the future
13 Posted 14/06/2023 at 22:20:49
He's 22 now, didn't get games when we were crying out for a striker, and so will presumably have realised he doesn't have a future at Everton. It even looks like he might have been overtaken by Cannon as our most likely youth striker.
Not sure then why he'd sign a contract extension. His career looks much better served by dropping down to the Championship and getting a lot of games.
14 Posted 15/06/2023 at 00:08:54
15 Posted 14/06/2023 at 00:09:15
One of the biggest reasons that Ipswich got promoted (and had the money to get Broadhead from us) is that they have a competent and ambitious ownership in place. When they looked at Simms's market price of ٤ to 8 Million, it is conceivable that they would sniff around with a half-price bid to begin with (hence the reported ١ Million+).
IMHO, Simms might top out in between a dominating striker in Championship and a serviceable one in Premier League. With only 12 months left on his contract, if Thelwell can get anywhere more than ٣ Million for him by the end of July, I would be happy.
16 Posted 15/06/2023 at 01:49:07
17 Posted 15/06/2023 at 09:08:17
18 Posted 15/06/2023 at 09:17:51
19 Posted 16/06/2023 at 12:25:02
20 Posted 18/06/2023 at 07:12:16
22 Posted 18/06/2023 at 11:20:02
His strength is apparent when he can get a run at a defender or moving onto the ball, as happened once v Chelsea. Playing how most Premier League sides do, with one up front does not suit his limited skill set.
We have to bolster our attack with a like-for-like Calvert-Lewin cover and/or others who can do the job and play wide in a front 3 (like Richarlison did). These aren't easy to find but, if we are to score goals, it is the type of striker we need.
Gyökeres fits the latter description. Not sure who we look at for the former. And I hear good things about Cannon but haven't seen him.
The idea that, because Simms is a striker, we must keep him, would be okay if he was the type of player who fitted our way of playing.
23 Posted 18/06/2023 at 11:42:44
Given he has 1 year left on his contract and the amount of moving around he's done already, it makes sense for us to get some dollar and for him to find regular first-team football. He will no doubt carve a good career for himself in the Championship. I think Cannon will be a cut above Simms after one more season.
We should be looking for at least ٣-6M. I would like us to use him as bait to get Gyökeres, it's probably the only way we can get ahead of Brentford in signing him. Coventry are on the up and it would be a good move for both parties. Or Sunderland as part of the Clarke deal.
I was born and raised in Suffolk and a lot of my mates are Ipswich fans, they rave about Nathan Broadhead and can't believe they got him for the price they paid. Genuinely they called him "Bergkamp"! 'Gushing' is the word I would use to describe their praise of him. Another (like Robinson) who we let go naively and cheaply.
24 Posted 18/06/2023 at 11:48:36
Nothing against the lad but, one sublime run past Koulibaly and a finish that Kepa should have saved apart, I've seen nothing to make me believe the lad can be the answer to our striker problems. Happy to be proved wrong!
25 Posted 18/06/2023 at 12:05:17
In a team which is often required to get by on less than 30%, his all-round game is insufficient to help the team counter-attack effectively.
26 Posted 18/06/2023 at 19:37:09
Sorry if that comes across a little blunt but I'd consider a fee north of ٣ million.
27 Posted 20/06/2023 at 14:54:53
Turned their season around 2 years ago. This last one, managed them to promotion, leading in GF and GA.
I'll bet Simms is going to enjoy playing for him.
And maybe the Club keeps an eye on McKenna.
28 Posted 24/06/2023 at 23:35:23
They may think he's raw but the only way anyone, including the player himself, will know if he's ready is by having a run of games, which could have easily happened this season if Dyche really had big balls. Instead, he relied on stats and law of averages with his persistence of Maupay.
Simms did more against Chelsea than Maupay did in his previous 5 appearances combined and should have been given a run in the side. It didn't happen and won't happen at this club.
If I were any young player in our set-up, I'd get out as soon as possible, because it is clear as day that any young prospect will have no chance playing for us in the near future.
ps: I see Fulham want 㿊M for Robinson.
29 Posted 28/06/2023 at 00:45:42
An expiring contract and a club desperate for cash, with an ambitious & aggressive ownership on another end for Ipswich, we might not have as much leverage as we would prefer. If Thelwell can get a single down payment between £6 to £8 Million up front with probable Add-Ons like % of future transfer income (to hedge against future break-out) for Simms, I would be happy.
30 Posted 28/06/2023 at 08:40:19
- Warrington
- Simms
- Cannon
- Dobbin
- Welch
- Gibson
For ٢M I'd keep him, assuming he's on a low wage too. We might need bodies as the season goes on!
31 Posted 28/06/2023 at 16:04:13
Simms is a target for a number of clubs in this summer's transfer window with Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Stoke City all chasing his signature.
Ipswich are preparing to return to the Championship in 2023-24 and have firmed up their interest in Simms with a formal offer, but it has been turned down by Everton. The Toffees decided to reject the offer despite Simms entering the final year of his contract at Goodison Park.
It is understood that Everton boss Sean Dyche would consider selling Simms this summer if they receive a suitable offer in order to boost his own transfer plans.
The young forward spent the first half of last season on loan at Championship side Sunderland, where he scored 7 goals and assisted twice in 17 appearances.
32 Posted 28/06/2023 at 18:38:05
Until we stop signing Championship level players and those relegated, then we'll continue to be in relegation battles. It's not rocket science.
33 Posted 29/06/2023 at 01:18:06
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1 Posted 14/06/2023 at 14:14:01