Ellis Simms has been spotted in Swansea as he remains in talks with the club.
The Everton striker was photographed outside the Swansea.com Stadium by a fan on Friday, with the Daily Mail reporting earlier this week that the Welsh club had joined the race for his signature.
Simms netted seven goals during the first half of last season after joining Sunderland on loan and it now looks like he could return to the second tier on a permanent deal.
Sunderland are desperate to bring the 22-year-old back to Wearside this summer, though they are joined by the likes of Swansea, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough in their pursuit.
Simms’ return to Goodison Park in January wasn’t quite as successful as he had hoped, though he did net an important late equaliser against Chelsea which former striker Dion Dublin labelled as ‘absolutely brilliant’.
It was previously thought that the Toffees would look to replace Simms before allowing him to leave, however his appearance in Swansea could mean that talks are accelerating.
While news of Simms’ presence in Wales could be bad news for the Black Cats, it is also thought that he has been visiting other interested clubs too.
Sunderland don’t seem to be any closer to re-signing Ellis Simms
Sunderland have been heavily linked with a move for Ellis Simms ever since he returned to Everton back in January.
After a successful season, it was expected that he would make a swift return to the Stadium of Light, however it is proving to be more difficult than first thought.
The attacker is in high demand in the Championship and could cost interested parties over £4 million – a fee which Sunderland are unlikely to want to pay.
While the list of clubs targeting Simms continues to grow, Sunderland don’t seem to be any closer to bringing the Everton youngster back and are yet to make an offer for him – despite reports that he also wants to re-join the club.