Blues target Ellis Simms is close to joining Coventry City from Everton, according to widespread reports.

The 22-year-old was understood to be interesting a number of Championship clubs, including the Blues, former loan club Sunderland, Bristol City, Middlesbrough, Blackburn, Swansea and Stoke City.

However, a number of sources are reporting that the Sky Blues, who are expected to lose forward Viktor Gyokeres in a £20 million deal to Sporting Lisbon, are close to completing a deal to sign Simms. The fee reportedly is between £6 million and £8 million.

Talks are said to be ongoing with the deal expected to be done by the weekend.

Oldham-born Simms, who has a year left on his deal at Goodison Park, is reported to have missed the start of pre-season training with the Toffeemen today.

Simms joined Everton at 16 having spent time with Blackburn and Manchester City as a schoolboy.

The striker was loaned to Blackpool in January 2021, then a year later moved to Hearts in Scotland for the second half of the following season.

Simms signed for Sunderland on loan last season and made 14 starts and three sub appearances, scoring seven times, before being recalled at the turn of the year.

For Everton, Simms has made three starts and nine sub appearances - all in the Premier League - scoring once, in March’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea.

A new number nine - or perhaps two - is likely to be well up Blues boss Kieran McKenna’s summer wishlist with loanee George Hirst having returned to his parent club Leicester at the end of the season.

Photo: Action Images

boroughblue added 20:19 - Jul 6 Meh, never mind, next one then. Sure Ashton is ready to smother someone better with cooking oil anyway
1

baldman added 20:22 - Jul 6 Always liked Yates of Blackpool that might be worth a look
3

joyousblue added 20:26 - Jul 6 No disrepect but when supporters say i like the look of him or him in truth probably never seen him play except for two minte slots on the tv lol
6

WeWereZombies added 20:26 - Jul 6 Disappointing news if the rumours prove true.
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Len_Brennan added 20:32 - Jul 6 I'm ok with us not getting Simms; of those we've been credibly linked with, would far prefer Hirst or Yates, & then Surridge as the second striker. For how we play & with the importance of our main #9 linking with those behind/around him, I would be happier with Colby Bishop than I would be with Simms. Still, McKenna must like him & he has a few Championship goals to his name, so he'll probably do well enough at Coventry; just not a £5m-£6m value player for me though.

0

Karlosfandangal added 20:33 - Jul 6 When the talk got to £7 million to £10 million I thought he not coming here. I could see Town going to £4 million. Right next one, I wonder if we are trying for Hurst.
5

Europablue added 20:35 - Jul 6 When you have 20 million burning a hole in your pocket 7 doesn't seem like such a big number. For us, it always felt like we moved on to the next target when he wasn't available for a reasonable fee.
2

baldman added 20:42 - Jul 6 Joyousblue I've seen him play about 20 times as do a lot of work in Blackpool and seen a lot of there home games he has a good first touch good in the air surprisingly quick of the mark and always puts in a good shift
5

Powrigan added 21:01 - Jul 6 Anyone considering a nothing club like Coventry would be ambitious or good enough for Ipswich. Good luck to him.
-5

Powrigan added 21:01 - Jul 6 Would not be*
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Europablue added 21:05 - Jul 6 Powrigan, I don't know about that. Most players are just mercenaries, and Simms has no connection to our club and Coventry were decent last year, so it's a decent club for him. He didn't seem that motivated to join us, so nevermind. I'm interested to see who we could bring in from Europe. There are so many overpriced players in the premier league academy system.
2

rugbytomc added 21:07 - Jul 6 I reckon we could match that fee if we wanted to-but from his point of view he's being offered a play off finalist vs a team just promoted. Good luck to him and Cov if he does go there. Excited to see what business we do, do. But also very happy with the existing squad
2

Bluearmy_81 added 21:08 - Jul 6 Bald man, he often has a clumsy/heavy first touch in my opinion
1

oldblue added 21:10 - Jul 6 Joel Piroe from Swansea would be nice...fee too rich for us I suspect...
1

Help added 21:12 - Jul 6 Let hope he is as 1/3rd as good as the one Coventry are selling
0

cressi added 21:16 - Jul 6 Don't understand anyone being disappointed one half a good season as I said before this news 7 to 10 million your having a giraffe. I'm sure we can do better for less.If I was the player I'd sit tight anyway Sunderland, ipswich or Coventry lol I'm sure I would want to end up there yes I know they got to the play off final to play the other giants Luton.
2

bluewarrior added 21:21 - Jul 6 I think if we really wanted him we would have got him. Interesting that the Mackems didn't bid. The talk was that he's lazy.
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ipswichboi added 21:27 - Jul 6 No problem at all. Good luck to him! A lot of fans need to chill out and just remember that we have the best men behind the scenes. No rush. I think we will be pleasantly surprised. Exciting times ahead.
3

Gforce added 21:30 - Jul 6 We should look to the Dutch/Belgian leagues. Some quality strikers there,even some of their top flight players would jump at the chance to sign for us and in many cases,would earn more money.
3

Europablue added 21:56 - Jul 6 Gforce, It would be special to have a couple of decent Dutch players to suit the new away kit!
6

SWBlue22 added 21:57 - Jul 6 Not overly bothered wouldn't have been a smart move paying upwards of 7 million. We have to be smart and I have every confidence we will get the majority of our targets even if we do have to wait.
1

muhrensleftfoot added 21:58 - Jul 6 Well over priced. Not good business. We can do better than that for half the price
4

blues1 added 22:01 - Jul 6 Why do fans actually think we were ever actually after him? The club certainly have never said they were. And doubtctheyd deny it if asked, bcse that means they can quietly go about getting who they really do want. Only ever been rubbish social media,sites, and journalists who've linked us with him. Think if we'd really have wanted him, we'd have got him. And even if we were after him, I wouldn't hafe seen us paying that amount.

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Phil1969 added 22:02 - Jul 6 Crikey if he is worth £8m I must have a price tag of £100k and I'm 62!!
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chepstowblue added 22:06 - Jul 6 People on here have gone from claiming that "he has the potential to be one of the best strikers in Europe" to "I'm not fussed anyway, he's not that good". A slight exaggeration, but you know what ì mean. The labelling of Coventry as a 'nothing club' is astonishing. They lost in the play off final only a month or two ago !! Like the majority on here, our only judgement of Simms comes from the odd Sunderland game last season and nonsense clips on youtube which make everybody look fantastic. I'd be relatively happy with Hirst. Again, he's not brilliant, but he contributed some important moments at important times last season and I'm sure would continue to do a good job for us.

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