Championship outfit Coventry City will be keen to enjoy another productive transfer window following an impressive first season back at the CBS Arena.

The Sky Blues may have fallen away from the play-off zone but considering they only won promotion to the second tier at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, they have made great strides under the stewardship of Mark Robins.

Robins won't want to rest on his laurels though after flirting with a finish in the top six - because they will need to carry on evolving and strengthening if they are to finish anywhere near the 12th place they ended up in at the end of this term.

 

 

Their task will be made harder by their two previous loanees heading back to Chelsea, adding two more players for Robins to sign in the coming months as he looks to make the most of what looks set to be another limited budget.

But his decisions won't just be limited to incomings - but also departures with some of those still under contract potentially surplus to requirements and some of their key men potentially set to be the subject of interest from elsewhere.

Considering both ins and outs then, we have selected four transfer matters that the Sky Blues' manager will need to address in the coming days and weeks.

Time to move for Clarke Salter?

According to Coventry Live, Robins' side are firmly in the race for former loanee Jake Clarke-Salter who was a key figure at the heart of their defence during the 2021/22 season, making 29 league appearances and only being prevented from appearing more because of injury troubles.

The Chelsea man has shown his quality when in action though and with the 24-year-old out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, he looks set to be available for free, an ideal scenario for the second-tier side who won't have a huge amount to spend in the coming months.

However, they may face considerable competition in their quest to land the centre-back with clubs across Europe though to be monitoring his situation.

Premier League outfit Leeds United are one side that are reported to be in the race by The Sun - but the Whites' potential relegation could potentially provide the Sky Blues with an advantage in their quest to land him.

Already plying his trade at the CBS Arena and becoming accustomed to life in the Midlands - the second-tier side should hold out hope that they can bring him back - but should also be looking at other potential targets.

Maatsen replacement required

Although Jake Bidwell is available following his arrival from Swansea City in January - you can't help but think Coventry need a more attacking option on the left-hand side if they are to persist with a back-three formation with no advanced wingers.

A 3-4-3 setup with wingers may help to compensate for Bidwell's lack of attacking firepower but even then, having a more forward-thinking player in that position could pay dividends for the club in terms of improving their goalscoring record.

With Brandon Mason also leaving and Jordan Shipley moving to Shrewsbury Town, they are lacking depth in this area anyway and this is why they need to prioritise this area to strengthen in the coming months.

The arrival of a new left wing-back may also allow Bidwell to be an option at centre-back, providing more options in another area they need to add to, so recruiting a replacement for Maatsen is a no-brainer.

In terms of the Dutchman, a return looks unlikely with Borussia Dortmund thought to be interested in his signature.

A plan for O'Hare and Gyokeres

Unsurprisingly, both Callum O'Hare and Viktor Gyokeres have both been linked with moves away from the CBS Arena recently, with the latter recording some much-improved performances this term to justify Robins' decision to bring him in permanently.

O'Hare has been linked with top-tier giants Tottenham Hotspur, who are reported by The Telegraph to be monitoring him closely ahead of a potential summer transfer approach.

And Gyokeres has been tipped for a move to promoted side Fulham, who will be plying their trade in the top flight next season. The forward scored three times against the Cottagers in their two meetings during 2021/22 and Marco Silva is seemingly keen on bringing him to the English capital.

O'Hare signed a new deal for January this year and Gyokeres put pen to paper on a three-year contract last summer so the second-tier side are under no real pressure to cash in on the duo.

However, every player has their price and it will be interesting to see if they do sell either if they receive lucrative bids. Because that's a possibility, the recruitment team needs to be making contingency plans to deal with the potential departure of one or both of those players.

Walker's future

Scoring seven times and recording three assists in 31 league appearances during the 2020/21 season, that was a respectable total and one Walker would have been looking to improve on during 2021/22.

However, the last nine months have been disappointing for the 24-year-old who was shipped out on loan to Portsmouth and only managed to get on the scoresheet once in 15 third-tier displays under Danny Cowley.

And in all competitions during the season for both the Sky Blues and Pompey, he registered just three goals in 34 appearances. Arguably, he deserves one more season to shine at the CBS Arena but would his presence block Fabio Tavares' development? Should one or both of those players be sent out on temporary spells?

They already have Gyokeres, Matt Godden and Martyn Waghorn at their disposal but another one or two options will be needed if they are to play two up front. Having either of those players on the sidelines won't be good for their development though, so a loan move for at least one would be ideal.