Championship outfit Sunderland are still locked in negotiations with Everton for Nathan Broadhead, with talks at an impasse according to the Northern Echo.

The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at the Stadium of Light and despite his lack of appearances, mainly due to injury troubles, he managed to record an impressive 13 goals in 27 competitive appearances for the Black Cats.

With this, Alex Neil's side have sustained their interest in the forward with the club in desperate need of adding more attacking options following their failure to address this area earlier in the transfer window.

However, they look set to make a breakthrough with the Toffees in their quest to recruit Ellis Simms, with the 21-year-old reportedly keen on a move to the Stadium of Light despite interest from elsewhere.

With this, the young forward looks set to undergo a medical shortly and could potentially link up with the Wearside outfit before their opening league game of the season against Coventry City.

His arrival is much-needed with Will Grigg's departure leaving Ross Stewart as their only orthodox option up top, with more depth being required since March when Jermain Defoe announced his retirement from the game.

At this stage though, they haven't managed to strike an agreement with Frank Lampard's side for Broadhead, with the 24-year-old still likely to be wanted by officials at the Stadium of Light considering they need more than two strikers in their first-team squad.

The Verdict:

Considering he only has one year left on his deal at Goodison Park, the Toffees will probably want a transfer fee for him at this stage and it's currently unclear what his valuation is.

The Black Cats can't afford to spend too much - but their promotion to the second tier should allow them to spend the amount needed to lure Broadhead to Wearside, with the Welshman unlikely to be a big part of Lampard's plans during the 2022/23 campaign.

With talks seemingly not progressing recently, they will need to have alternative options they can pursue if they miss out on the forward, especially with Neil's side facing competition for his signature.

Considering his scoring rate last season though, they should be looking to go the extra mile to get this deal over the line and he wouldn't take long to settle back into life at the club either, another reason why this would be an excellent addition.

And at this stage, going with a safe option would probably be ideal with Simms needing to adapt to the Black Cats and the challenges of the second tier.