Coventry City and Wrexham could be set to battle it out for a seasoned England international in the summer transfer window.
Coventry planning for life in the Premier League
Coventry are far from home and dry, but they are certainly in a commanding position to reach the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, having opened up a seven-point gap on second-place Middlesbrough.
However, the Sky Blues were handed a setback in their most recent match, falling to a 2-1 defeat at home against play-off chasing Southampton, and manager Frank Lampard bemoaned the fact his side weren’t clinical enough to put the visitors to bed.
Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth has suggested team spirit is one of the key reasons Lampard’s side have been so dominant this season, recently saying: “To be able to help out whenever I can with the back four, we’ll celebrate that as well, whether that’s a block, or a save. Which just shows how good the connections are that we’ve built off the pitch.
“To be the opposition, playing against a team that are celebrating every tackle, every time that we win the ball back, it’s quite intimidating to play against, because I’ve been on the other side of that.”
As such, the manager risks upsetting the apple cart if he makes wholesale changes to the squad in the summer, but work is being done to prepare for life in the Premier League, and a midfielder has now emerged as a target.
Coventry battling Wrexham to sign “fantastic” Premier League star
According to a report from Sports Boom, Coventry are now neck and neck with Championship rivals Wrexham in the race for Aston Villa star Ross Barkley, with Unai Emery’s side willing to listen to offers for the central midfielder in the summer.
The 33-cap England international has also attracted interest from Sheffield United and Everton, although there are doubts about whether David Moyes would be willing to pursue a move.
With the Sky Blues setting the pace at the top of the Championship, they could be in a strong position to win the race for the experienced midfielder, who has 297 Premier League appearances to his name.
Although the 32-year-old’s top flight experience could be useful for Coventry, his injury record may be a concern, having missed a lot of games for Luton Town and Aston Villa over the past three seasons.
Ross Barkley’s injury record
Games missed
2023-24
5
2024-25
21
2025-26
14
That said, the Englishman has impressed when available, receiving plaudits from Emery in 2024, who said after an impressive display against Leicester City: “Today I am also very happy with Ross Barkley. He was fantastic in the minutes he played.
The experience Barkley has built up across spells with Villa, Chelsea, Everton and Luton could be invaluable for the Sky Blues, who will most likely be looking to consolidate their Premier League status next season, should they achieve their goal of promotion.
Related
Same agent as Onyeka: Coventry now plotting move for “unbelievable” player also wanted by Millwall
The race is heating up…