Coventry City Facing Premier League Battle For £1 Million-Rated Star
Following the recent departure of Simon Moore, Coventry City are looking to sign a new goalkeeper to rival Brad Collins between the sticks, according to the latest reports.
Moore, formerly of Sheffield United, had been at the Coventry Building Society Arena for three years, initially starting off as Mark Robins’ primary choice in goal during the 2021/22 campaign. In his debut season with the Sky Blues, Moore made 41 appearances in the Championship while Ben Wilson played in the remaining five matches.
However, in the very next campaign, the experienced shot-stopper lost his place in goal. Wilson took his spot in the starting lineup, playing 43 times in England’s second tier, while Moore was restricted to merely three league appearances.
Wilson maintained his position between the goalposts at Coventry City until midway through the 2023/24 campaign when Collins, who joined the club in the summer of 2023 following a four-year stint at Barnsley, robbed his spot in net. Yet, manager Robins is looking to shake-up his goalkeeping department once more.
Moore recently left the club as a free agent after his deal expired and joined fellow Championship side Sunderland on a two-year contract, while it has recently been reported that Wilson will seek an exit should the Sky Blues bring a new goalkeeper to the club this summer.
Journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that one player Coventry are looking to sign is Plymouth Argyle keeper Michael Cooper but face stiff competition from Premier League side Crystal Palace. The 24-year-old rejected a new contract last month which would have made him the highest-paid player in the Pilgrims’ lengthy history.
Nixon is claiming that Plymouth are open to selling Cooper this summer and will look to receive an adequate transfer fee. Cooper currently boasts a market value of £1 million, as per FootballTransfers, so new boss Wayne Rooney may be able to collect a seven-figure sum for the Englishman.
Writer’s View
Cooper is still just 24 and has a lot of room to grow. While the club may be forced to pay over £1 million to secure his services, Coventry City should spend this money to tie down the future of their goalkeeping position.
However, Collins is still relatively young too at just 26. Perhaps Cooper will want to move to a club where he will be the first-choice between sticks, having played fewer games than Conor Hazard at Home Park last season. He may not achieve this goal with the Sky Blues or Palace.
