Missing out on a play-off place last season could prove costly when the Sky Blues try to hold on to their top stars
Having been a fair distance from a play-off place at the end of the season, Coventry City will approach next with a clear goal in mind, but they may be forced to do so without some of their current top players.
Midfielder Ben Sheaf was one of the stand-out players at the CBS Arena last term and, as such, looks likely to make the jump into the Premier League without his current club, with Ipswich Town and Fulham both reportedly interested.
He may not be alone in his walk to the exit, however, as the Sky Blues have a squad packed with promising young talent and clubs higher in the pyramid may look to take advantage of their second-tier status.
Here, FLW looks at two players that could follow Sheaf out of the door this summer…
Ellis Simms
Ellis Simms arrived in Coventry with a bang last season after his £3.5million move from Everton, which could rise to £5million based on performance.
In 46 Championship appearances last season, he netted 13 goals and added an assist too. But it was the FA Cup where he was truly at his deadly best, notching six times and setting up a further three in his six outings, including a brace against Wolverhampton Wanderers and a goal and assist against Manchester United, whom his side almost bested at Wembley in the semi-final.
The 23-year-old’s league form is impressive for a relatively young striker, but it will be those landmark appearances against Premier League sides, carrying the pressure of knockout football on his shoulders, that will have substantially turned the heads of the elite sides.
That appears to be exactly what has happened, with reports suggesting that Bournemouth and Brentford look set to enter the market for Simms, with Dominic Solanke and Ivan Toney seeming set to depart the respective clubs.
Premier League football is far from guaranteed in the next few years at the CBS, so those moves would prove difficult for Simms to turn down but, on the plus side, the Sky Blues will be sure to make a quick and substantial return on their investment if a deal is to be struck.
Matty Godden
Another player that Sky Blues fans could see depart this summer is Matty Godden.
The 32-year-old has just had a respectable season with Coventry, netting six goals in 35 Championship appearances, but he was limited to 23 league starts throughout the campaign.
If Mark Robins’ side manage to keep hold of their attacking talent, Godden’s minutes are unlikely to increase at the CBS, with a host of young talent in forward areas battling for the same positions.
| Godden’s senior career, as per Transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Coventry City | 156 | 50 | 11 |
| Stevenage | 88 | 35 | 11 |
| Peterborough United | 48 | 18 | 3 |
| Scunthorpe United | 21 | – | – |
| Ebbsfleet United | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| Tamworth | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| Dartford | 9 | 5 | 1 |
The veteran forward has admirers elsewhere too, with League One outfit Charlton Athletic thought to be interested in his services after being linked in previous years while he was still at Stevenage.
His current deal runs until next summer, so this window may represent one of the last times the Sky Blues can cash in on the man they signed back in 2019.
Godden has been a top performer for Coventry since he joined, but a parting of ways this summer may be something that works best for both parties.
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