How might Sunderland replace Ellis Simms after his Everton recall?

Sunderland are in urgent need of strikers after losing Ellis Simms. We look at some options.

Author:
Michael Graham
Publish date:
Dec 30, 2022 8:59 PM EST

You didn’t actually think that Sunderland were going to give us a nice drama-free New year, did you? Have you not been paying attention? Ellis Simms has returned to Everton, and we all feel very sad about it.

Simms made a significant contribution to Sunderland in the first half of the season, and he leaves a big hole in the squad to fill. In truth, the striker positions were looking light even with him.

So, what are some of Sunderland’s options for replacing Ellis Simms in January? Let’s take a closer look.

Cameron Archer

Th Aston Villa youngster is a player who has been linked with Sunderland quite persistently this season, and he is certainly one that fits ‘the model.’

The 21-year-old is considered a top prospect at Villa, and he proved himself at Championship level last season with Preston. That loan spell saw him score seven goals in 21 matches, so he would be a low-risk signing.

Villa wanted to give him a chance at a breakthrough but it hasn’t worked out. He has played just six times this season, all from the bench, which has amounted to just 43 minutes of football.

They are unlikely to risk him stagnating further, and a loan deal in the second half of the season looks likely. Preston boss Ryan Lowe has already said they want him back, and Sunderland were likely to be in the mix too, even before Simms was recalled.

One consideration, though, is that Archer would not be a like-for-like replacement for Simms. He is more similar to Jermain Defoe when it comes to his all-round game, and he doesn’t really have the experience to play up front on his own yet.

Nathan Broadhead

There have been some suggestions that Everton may try to almost compensate Sunderland for the loss of Simms by doing some kind of a deal for Nathan Broadhead. That could be a loan deal or a permanent one.

Either would require them to recall him from his current loan deal at Wigan early, but as we have seen they are not averse to that kind of thing!

It’s hard to really judge where Sunderland are at when it comes to Broadhead right now, though. He has not exactly starred at Championship level with Wigan, scoring just four times. He has only started 11 games, though, and the Latics don’t look like the most creative team.

You have to wonder how much Sunderland actually wanted him last summer. Alex Neil seemed annoyed when he joined Wigan, so that may be an indicator that there was some real effort put into getting him.

Would he even fit in now? Sunderland are probably looking for a striker able to play up front on his own with his back to goal, and that is not Broadhead.

Jerry Yates

Blackpool striker Jerry Yates has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Ross Stewart if the Scotsman leaves, but if Sunderland do hold an interest then they may opt to act on it early.

The problem is, it’s hard to imagine he is the kind of player Sunderland would want right now.

Granted, he is having an excellent season, scoring nine goals already for a struggling Blackpool side. He has worked his way up from the lower leagues impressively.

However, he is 26-years-old and would command a large fee, especially since Blackpool will likely be pinning their survival hopes on his goals. It just doesn’t seem to fit.

Jonson Clarke-Harris

Peterborough striker Jonson Clarke-Harris has been linked with Sunderland quite a few times, and he is currently back in League One scoring goals again.

He plundered 31 at that level during the 2020-21 campaign and has 15 in 28 games in all competitions this season too.

Again, though, it doesn’t seem to fit.

For starters, he will be 29-years-old this summer, so signing him would go against everything we have been told about the recruitment model at Sunderland. If he could be signed cheaply then you could see it happening, but he has 18 months left on his contract so that looks unlikely.

He also didn’t exactly rip up the Championship when he was at this level last season, managing just 12 goals in 41 games.

Daniel Jebbison

One name that would appear to fit is Sheffield United youngster Daniel Jebbison, although it would be an enormous risk.

We know the Sunderland recruitment team like Jebbison as they have attempted to bring him in on loan before, back in the summer of 2021. He was even at the stands at the Stadium of Light for a game at one point.

He went to Burton Albion on loan instead and did okay, scoring seven goals in 20 games. He started this season in the starting line-up for Sheffield United, but he quickly fell away from the first-team picture and suffered an injury in October.

He is fit again now, although still not getting much of a look in, so perhaps the Blades will consider moving him on.

The problem here is that Sheffield United are unlikely to want to give up on Jebbison yet and would a loan deal really appeal to Sunderland? It’s one thing helping Man Utd, Man City and Everton develop players, it’s quite another helping a Sheffield United.

Ellis Simms

Could the ideal Ellis Simms replacement in January actually be… Ellis Simms?

Yes, he has been recalled, but that doesn’t mean he can’t come back. It may just be a case that Everton want to have a very close look at him and see if he can help them out in the short term while they try to buy a new striker.

After all, although Simms has shone at times for Sunderland, he does look well short of Premier League quality for now. While his size makes him a handful in the box, his touch and hold-up play is still well short of the required level Everton need.

There is a good chance that Everton figure that out and decide to sanction another loan deal for him towards the end of January, so if Sunderland hold their nerve perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Ellis Simms after all.