Sunderland transfer news: Ellis Simms' Everton loan recall option latest

Mowbray is familiar with Buckley after the duo spent time together at Ewood Park before his departure last summer and recent reports have stated that the Black Cats are interested in a deal for the 23-year-old.

Buckley broke into Rovers’ first-team in 2018-19 and has been in and around the senior set-up ever since, making 102 appearances in the Championship, scoring six goals and bagging nine assists since his senior debut. One pundit, though, has labelled his situation at Ewood Park as “strange”.

Carlton Palmer told Football League World: “Well, it’s kind of a strange situation to be fair to you. I mean, he played the majority of the games last season. He played over 40 games last season and played very, very well.

“Then this term, signed a long-term contract, and he’s not been involved as much.”

Ellis Simms recall option latest

Ellis Simms looks set to stay at Sunderland beyond January with Everton unlikely to recall him.

The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland has stated that the plan for Simms is to keep him at Sunderland for the rest of the campaign after the striker signed on a campaign-long loan last summer.

“I’d be surprised if Ellis Simms or Lewis Dobbin, for example, came back to Goodison from Sunderland and Derby County to play after the World Cup.” Boyland said.

Simms started against West Brom in the Championship on Monday evening as Sunderland lost 2-1.