Coventry City are back in the swing of things, having just secured automatic promotion to the Premier League with a merciless 4-0 thrashing of Watford to round off an incredible Championship campaign with 95 points.
Manager Frank Lampard has fully reinvigorated the Sky Blues, but champagne celebrations will soon have to give way to boardroom plans.
To survive in the Premier League, newly promoted teams need a proven pedigree.
Frank Lampard keen on Aston Villa’s Barclay
Coventry are already planning a very bold summer move to bring Aston Villa’s Ross Barkley to the club, according to the latest scoop from journalist Alan Nixon.
Barkley’s current situation at Villa Park is incredibly complicated. After successfully reviving his career with Luton Town a few seasons ago, his move to a strong Aston Villa side this year hasn’t gone to plan.
The veteran midfielder has been plagued by a lingering knee injury and has found it almost impossible to earn regular appearances under manager Unai Emery.
The writing certainly seems to be on the wall as his contract officially expires after the end of the current 2025/26 season.
Villa retain a one-year extension option, but given the depth of their elite midfield it seems highly unlikely they will trigger it, effectively making Barkley one of the most intriguing free agents on the coming summer market.
Coventry City looking to gain more experience
This is where Frank Lampard comes into play. The Coventry manager knows what it takes to progress through the Premier League and is aware that his current squad, while very talented and full of momentum, has struggled a bit in terms of top-level experience.
Adding a player of Barkley’s profile completely changes the dynamics of the dressing room.
When fully fit, Barkley offers a combination of physical power, ball carrying ability and final third creativity.
He was able to slot in seamlessly as a central attacking midfielder, providing stiff competition for players like Josh Eccles and improving the overall skill level of the team.
Aston Villa focus on Paris Saint-Germain’s ambitious move to sign young players as summer plans begin
