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

Naylorsrightboot added 11:09 - Jul 7 Nobbysnuts: Dylan Vente would be a great shout, mentioned him the other day on here.
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Linkboy13 added 11:51 - Jul 7 It's going to be far more difficult competing in the transfer market now that we are in the championship.
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runningout added 13:24 - Jul 7 we don't need pathetic sour grapes for sure on here :-)
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TimmyH added 14:18 - Jul 7 £6-8 Million...a bit of a gamble at that price in my opinion, got to be just as good options out there. How about dipping into the foreign market maybe for a change? whose our foreign scout? Hopefully not Romeo Zondervan :)
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HUTCHITFC added 16:43 - Jul 7 My godson used to play with Ellis in Everton u18s and I've watched him score a boat load of goals. Whilst he clearly had skill he was always bigger and more powerful than others to his age group which helped him. He then scored more and more goals in u23 before going out on loan because Everton were afraid to use him in the first team at a time when they were struggling. Whilst he scored a few goals at the various clubs he's been out on loan to I agree with most comments that Ipswich are very sensible to not have paid out silly money for someone who in my opinion has proved very little at this early stage of his career. Maybe this is just the market now for a player whose come through a premiership academy.

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Tractor_Boy_Tommy added 18:31 - Jul 7 Not fussed about this one We move on
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churchmans added 19:42 - Jul 7 Jesus that is a massive newspaper long article! Didn't read it! Claim that colby,surridge,Yates is better than ellis simms is well.... Laughable
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