Everton’s former Blackpool loanee Ellis Simms expected to be loaned out to the Championship

That’s according to Hearts boss Robbie Neilson, who brought the 21-year-old to Tynecastle for the second half of last season.

Neilson admits he’d love to bring Simms back to Scotland, but he concedes his club are unlikely to be able to afford the striker’s wages.

The Everton man scored seven goals in 20 appearances for Hearts, having joined Neilson’s side during the January transfer window.

His form has sparked Hearts fans calling for Simms to be brought back for another loan stint, but Neilson is not convinced his club will have the financial strength to make that happen.

“I’d love to get him back and we’re trying to get him back, but if I’m being brutally honest, I don’t think we’ll get him back,” he told the Scarves Around the Funnel podcast.

“There’s a lot of Championship teams in England that have contacted me asking about him. Obviously I’ve said he’s been terrible!

"There’s a lot of teams that have been watching him and want to take him, so that’s where we are at the moment.

"We bring these guys in, give them a platform and try to progress them. Then if they do well, they move on again.

“We’d love to do it but I just don’t see it happening.

“I know we have (European football) but what they have is finances. We just made a small contribution to his wage.

“If he goes to the Championship, someone can pay a much larger contribution or all of his salary. That’s what I can see happening.”

The Everton man helped the Seasiders to play-off glory during the 2020/21 season, scoring 10 times during the second half of Blackpool’s promotion-winning campaign.

Three of those goals came in Pool’s two-legged semi-final triumph against Oxford United, before missing the Wembley final through injury.

It’s understood the Seasiders were keen to bring Simms back to Bloomfield Road in January, but ended up bringing in Jake Beesley from Rochdale.

Pool were previously confident of sealing a return for Simms during the summer, only for the striker to undergo surgery on his groin, scuppering any deal.