ELLIS SIMMS has trained with Everton this morning, with new Toffees boss Sean Dyche understood to be minded to keep the striker on Merseyside for the second half of the season.

Sunderland have been pushing to re-sign Simms, with the 21-year-old having been recalled to Goodison Park from a previous loan spell at the Stadium of Light by former Everton boss Frank Lampard.

The Black Cats signed Joe Gelhardt on loan from Leeds United last week, but with Ross Stewart having suffered serious Achilles damage last weekend, Tony Mowbray would like to recruit another forward ahead of this evening’s 11pm deadline.

Stewart should be fit to return for the start of pre-season training in the summer, but the Scotland international is not expected to play again this term.

Sunderland’s recruitment team had hoped to persuade Everton officials to allow them to re-sign Simms. The striker has already played for Everton and Sunderland this season, so cannot play for another club.

The Everton hierarchy wanted to wait until they had appointed a new manager before deciding on Simms’ future, with Dyche having been formally confirmed as Lampard’s successor yesterday.

Dyche has spent the last 24 hours assessing the state of his squad, and the fact that Simms training at Everton’s Finch Park training complex this morning suggests he will be remaining with the Toffees.

Everton have sold Anthony Gordon to Newcastle this month, a move that reduced their attacking options, and while they are hoping to make additions of their own this afternoon, Dyche will want to see bodies through the door before he will even contemplate allowing anyone else to leave.

Sunderland intent to keep a line of dialogue open for the remainder of deadline day, but might well have to consider alternative options as they look to provide support for Gelhardt, who is set to make his Black Cats debut in Saturday’s Championship game at Millwall.