Coventry City: Hull City snub surely an example of Mark Robins effect – View
Brandon Thomas-Asante performed a drastic U-turn on his proposed Hull City switch to leave West Bromwich Albion for Coventry City instead, which surely was partly due to the influence of Mark Robins alongside first-team coach George Boateng.
It had previously been reported that the West Brom striker was the subject of a £2.5 million offer from the East Yorkshire side, as new German head coach Tim Walter looked to bolster his attacking options ahead of the forthcoming Championship campaign.
News of interest from Hull City first came from Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, who revealed they have made an offer to sign the 25-year-old. Football Insider even reported that the club upped their initial offer from £2.5 million to £3 million to try and strike a breakthrough.
It looked as though he was all set for a move to Hull, with Hull Live have provided more information on the transfer, as they revealed that the deal struck was ‘significantly less’ than what had been reported. However, Coventry appear as though they have successfully hijacked the move.
Coventry City swoop for West Brom striker Brandon Thomas-Asante
As well as it being the third year of his current contract in B71, it is also, at present, the last, having signed from League Two outfit Salford City for a reported fee of just £300,000 under former Tigers boss Steve Bruce in the summer of 2022.
In those two years at Albion, Thomas-Asante has featured regularly for the Baggies, which includes scoring 11 goals in the previous campaign as they reached the play-offs.
He was utilised as their primary centre-forward for much of the season, with Daryl Dike and Josh Maja struggling for fitness and form, meaning Thomas-Asante and Jed Wallace took the lion’s share of minutes as Carlos Corberan’s striker.
A move to a Hull side with just Oscar Estupinan as a striking option represented a good opportunity for Thomas-Asante, as he could have made the starting striker position his own under Walter. However, at the 11th hour, Coventry have convinced him of a move to the Sky Blues instead.
As first reported by Flashscore’s Owuraku Ampofo, the Ghanaian international forward has completed a medical and officially signed with the Sky Blues ahead of an impending announcement. This latest development marks a sensational latest twist in the saga, with Thomas-Asante in Hull last night, per Baz Cooper of Hull Live.
The Telegraph’s John Percy has since provided clarity regarding the transfer fee, claiming that Cov will pay around £2.5 million for the striker’s services. Many fans are somewhat bewildered at the change of heart, given the options up front already playing for Coventry.
The likes of Ellis Simms and Haji Wright are likely to be the club’s main strikers next season, meaning Thomas-Asante may play less often than he would have in a Hull side crying out for a centre-forward of his profile and calibre.
However, reports also claim the key influence of George Boateng, who has recently taken up the position of assistant first-team coach with Coventry after previously operating in the same role with the Ghana national team.
