Ellis Simms from Everton to Sheffield Wednesday

Everton starlet Ellis Simms could be sold for a bumper sum this summer to raise funds for other signings – alerting Championship clubs to his availability. Having already scored in the top three divisions of English football so far in his young career, first-team football is all but imperative at this stage of his career – with Sheffield Wednesday being linked with a move for his services. Football League World takes a look at whether he would be a good signing for the Owls.

Would signing Ellis Simms be a good move for Sheffield Wednesday?

Ellis Simms is a great move for any team in the Championship, never mind a newly-promoted side. Just ask Sunderland last season; they signed the Toffees youngster on a season-long loan, scoring seven goals in just 17 league games for the Black Cats.

He was that impressive on Wearside that Everton called him back early in the January transfer window to help with the injuries to star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin; and his late equaliser at Chelsea after getting the better of Kalidou Koulibaly showed exactly the qualities that he has.

At just 22 years of age, Simms has scored goals at every level he has been at. Eight goals in 21 games at Blackpool just three seasons ago, followed by five goals at Scottish outfit Hearts in 2021/22 saw him increase his stock massively – something that Sheffield Wednesday could massively take advantage of.

Would Ellis Simms start for Sheffield Wednesday?

The short answer is yes. Despite the scoring prowess of Lee Gregory, Josh Windass and Michael Smith last season, they are all largely unproven in the Championship.

Gregory boasts a decent amount of Championship experience, having spent four years in the second-tier, scoring 39 goals over four seasons for Millwall, Stoke and Derby County before joining Wednesday. Of course, it has been two years since he last plied his trade at that level and he may be overlooked for a super-sub role this season, given that he is 35 years old.

Windass is arguably the most likely to start instead of Simms, but after just three seasons at that level with 21 goals, it’s not exactly the tally that Dajphon Chansiri will be looking for in a starting striker. Simms could change all that.

What does Ellis Simms offer?

Simms is the perfect modern-day striker.

Quick enough to breach a defence, tall enough to offer a threat in the air, physical enough to act as a striker who can hold the ball up and technically excellent, there isn’t much that the Oldham-born star cannot do, though he does need game time to implement those on a more consistent basis.

You only have to watch three of his goals in the last 18 months to realise just how good Simms can be. A superb finish in the Edinburgh derby for Hearts vs Hibs showed his striking ability; a superbly-worked goal against Blackburn Rovers on Boxing Day showed his technical brilliance and his aforementioned strike vs Chelsea showed his physicality against an international defender. As far as signings go in terms of potential and current ability, there aren’t much better on the market.