Coventry City transfer game status with two in, uncertain future and many linked

It’s still a holiday period for many players, but that doesn’t mean Coventry City aren’t continuing to be busy behind the scenes as fans look forward to seeing how Mark Robins strengthens and builds his evolving squad beyond what was hoped . be an exciting summer of trading.

While there won’t be as much player turnover as last summer, when 14 left and 10 came in, there are a number of positions to be filled with at least four departures that we know of, while question marks remain over a number of other players who have a year left on their current deals.

The Sky Blues have already made their first signing with the arrival of winger Raphael Borges Rodrigues from Australian A-League club Macarthur FC for an undisclosed fee, joining Ephron Mason-Clark who eventually joined the club on a 4-year deal City’s £.25 million. with Peterborough United in January.

READ MORE: Coventry City ‘delayed’ Callum O’Hare replacement with ‘staggering’ £10m price tag

READ: City favorite quickly completes transfer after emotional farewell

It is hoped that the recruitment department will be more proactive in this transfer window, rather than reactive to key losses, as they were 12 months ago when Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer were lured away from the club. Here we look at the latest transfer from the club.

What Doug King said:

“Look, I want us to get promoted. I am an ambitious man and I look at everything the right way and if we can build our team from the foundations and the core we have today in a great way, then we will go further. And we’re on it right now, believe me. I have too many calls coming my way. So we’re talking about it and we’re in the discussion.”

What Mark Robins said:

“I think there will be some reasonable recruiting and movement this time around, although I don’t see it being the number we had last year. But it won’t be insignificant.”

Who is leaving:

So far two permanent senior players – midfielder and skipper Liam Kelly and goalkeeper Simon Moore – have left the club as their contracts expire this summer. Kelly, 34, wasted no time settling in and last week joined newly relegated Rotherham United to League One on a two-year deal.

A third player, Callum O’Hare, is expected to follow as a free agent unless he changes his mind and decides to accept City’s offer of a new contract. But that is highly unlikely.

The club also released Under-21s Dermi Lusala and Bradley Stretton.

Players likely to attract offers:

Ben Sheaf is the obvious candidate following earlier speculation linking him with interest from Luton Town, with more recent stories claiming Fulham and newly-promoted Ipswich Town are ‘keen’ on City’s player of the season and favorites to take the captain’s armband after his departure Liam Kelly.

Fans can expect another summer of transfer talk surrounding the former Arsenal prospect with ambitions to return to the Premier League. Newly relegated Luton are set to test City’s resolve with an “opening bid”, according to The Sun’s transfer pundit Alan Nixon. The club are obviously keen to keep him and there is no suggestion he wants to leave. But we all know how it works and every player has his price.

Other players who could attract attention could be Ellis Simms and Haji Wright given their impressive goalscoring records, but the fact that they have only had one season with the Sky Blues and are expected to be even better next season means any interest is likely to be satisfied. with a firm “hands down”.

Any contract players who will be surplus to requirements?

Matty Godden was clearly frustrated with his limited playing time in the second half of the season and as such could well look to move on despite still having a year left on his contract. The 32-year-old has provided tremendous service for the Sky Blues but is understood to be keen for more regular game time and with Ellis Simms and Haji Wright up front – who both scored 19 goals in the last term – there is little likely to happen. at City. Charlton Athletic have already been linked.

Ben Wilson, too, can feel that after his spectacular 2022/23 season – when he established himself as City’s No.1, kept a record 22 clean sheets, won the Golden Glove and named the EFL Team of the Year – that he wants to move elsewhere as a first-choice performer rather than play second fiddle to Brad Collins. There is also a strong case for the Robins to sign another goalkeeper, which would see Wilson slide further down the pecking order.

A third player, Jake Bidwell, is another whose future looks uncertain. Although a consistent and popular campaigner who won Jay Dasilva’s shirt back at left-back last season, the Robins are understood to be keen to bolster the position with a more dynamic and attentive full-back in the form of Van Ewijk. Bidwell almost moved to Birmingham in the January 2023 transfer window when City tried but failed to sign Dasilva, so it is not the first time his future has been called into question.

The same uncertainty applies to the two boys on loan, midfielder Ryan Howley, who struggled to make an impact at Dundee, and the versatile Jack Burroughs, who instead had a great spell at League One Lincoln. Both will be back in pre-season when they find out what the manager has in store for them.

Current status of payday loans:

City had just one player on loan last season in centre-half Luis Binks from Serie A side Bologna. The 22-year-old returned to his parent club after a mixed season in terms of appearances, being limited to 15 league starts, but featuring in 23 games in all competitions.

The defender, however, has impressed both manager and fans when he has played, and Robins has suggested the door is open for him to join the club on a permanent basis, assuming a number of things fall into place. Binks wants to leave Italy and return to England permanently but, with two years left on his contract, it could come at a cost. His wages may also be an issue.

Robins said: “He’s a great lad who has been brilliant in the dressing room. The guys love him and he’s someone we want to keep in touch with and see how things go. But that will come in the next little while and it depends on a number of factors.”

After what positions will they be?

City assistant manager Adi Viveash recently revealed in his exclusive interview with CoventryLive that the club will be looking to add top quality on the right wing to compete with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto next season. They already have Ephron Mason-Clark, of course, the Peterborough United winger they signed and were forced to loan out in January to come in and compete for a place on the left. Raphael Borges Rodrigues, meanwhile, could be the man on the right flank. Although he generally operated on the left, the predominantly right-handed player can operate on both sides.

If, as expected, O’Hare leaves, then another attacking midfielder/number ten will need to come in to compete with Kasey Palmer, and depending on what happens with Matty Godden, City are likely to be looking for another marker.

Working on the theory that most managers have two players for each position, another centre-back will be needed. As mentioned above, Binks is an option, but it remains to be seen what will happen.

Assuming Milan van Ewijk returns to his more natural right-back role next season after filling in admirably for the injured Sakamoto, City may want to add competition for him, although the versatile Joel Latibeaudiere has played more games at right-back. But it is suspected that the manager sees him more as a centre-back – the position he was originally signed for last summer.

Elsewhere, another dynamic central midfielder is likely to be wanted to add to the current mix and don’t be surprised if a goalkeeper is brought in following an indifferent season from Brad Collins.

Any related names?

City are understood to be interested in Scotland Under-21 international Connor Barron, who is out of contract this summer. The 21-year-old Aberdeen midfielder has been offered a new deal but interest is growing in the deep-lying playmaker, with the Sky Blues and Championship side Swansea reported to be ‘keen’, according to our sister title the Daily Record. while Bologna, the report claims, have joined the growing list of Italian clubs weighing up a summer move for the player.

Fellow Italians Cagliari and Sassuolo have already declared an interest in him, but any bid should ensure top-flight survival. Bologna have had impressive feedback on the midfielder who has been a standout in the Reds’ recent renaissance.

Meanwhile, when City signed Ephron Mason-Clark from Peterborough in January, it emerged the Sky Blues have designs on two more Posh players, as the Cambridgeshire club’s owner Darragh MacAnthony revealed.

On his podcast, The Hard Truth, the outspoken president offered fascinating insight into the negotiation process between himself and city owner Doug King’s “relentless” pursuit of Mason-Clark. The 47-year-old Irish entrepreneur said: “Doug has asked for an option on one of my other players as well because they like a lot of our players.”

The most likely candidates appear to be left-back Harrison Burrows and defensive midfielder Hector Kyprianou, although the likes of midfielder Archie Collins, centre-back Ronnie Edwards and right-winger Kwame Poku are other possible candidates who could be of interest.

Elsewhere, there have been reports linking the Sky Blues with out-of-contract interest in Preston attacking midfielder Alan Browne. The versatile midfielder, 29, has been offered a new deal to keep him at Deepdale and it remains to be seen what the player chooses to do.

Meanwhile, Huddersfield Town attacking midfielder Jack Rudoni has been linked with the Sky Blues, with The Sun claiming the Terriers want a “staggering” £10million for his services, which appears to have “put off” Coventry.

How many new players do City need and in what positions? Tell us in the comments section HERE.