Coventry City enjoyed an outstanding start to the season under Mark Robins but have fallen away from the play-off places in recent weeks.

The Sky Blues caught the eye at the beginning of the campaign by winning their first six home league games at the CBS Arena playing some exciting attacking football.

Since early October, Viktor Gyokeres has not found the net and the team have become more and more reliant on solid defensive displays to keep them competing towards the top end.

Coventry are actually trending as a better defensive unit than they are an attacking one compared to the rest of the division, according to expected goals. Therefore, it is in the final third where Mark Robins and his recruitment team should be focusing their interest in January.

Having deployed a fluid front three often this season, a versatile forward who can drift around and combine with Coventry's wing backs and attacking midfielders would be a very attractive proposition.

Manchester United's Amad Diallo may be available for loan and could fit that bill, but with the 19-year-old being such a precocious talent, Robins may have to master his persuasion tactics to lure the Ivorian to the CBS next month.

In terms of what Coventry can offer Diallo, they have a lot of players in their ranks who have played in big six academies and will be able to relate to the situation Diallo finds himself in.

Todd Kane and Fankaty Dabo have been in the fold at Chelsea, along with current loanees from the Blues Ian Maatsen and Jake Clarke-Salter. While Ben Sheaf left Arsenal to sign permanently for the Sky Blues in the summer.

Mark Robins has been trusted in recent years with some of the largest clubs in England's young talent and Manchester United would be well advised to do the same.

The exciting brand of football that he has instilled in the squad is more transferrable to Premier League action than most in the second tier. Diallo would be first choice as for Gyokeres' fading fortunes and in combination with pressing monster Callum O'Hare and seasoned campaigner Matty Godden, the Ivorian would make up a very intriguing front three.

The weight of expectation is significantly lower at Coventry than most of the other clubs in the second tier promotion race, meaning the CBS Arena would be a good destination for Diallo's first regular action in English football as he looks to prove he has what it takes to contribute in the longer term at Old Trafford.