Recruitment is key in football as we all know, particularly when your side is stepping up from League One to the Championship, given the gulf that usually exists between the two divisions in terms of finance. Luton Town’s performance in the 2019/20 season epitomises how difficult it is to compete with some of the more established clubs in the second tier, with the Hatters sitting at the bottom of the pile at the time of writing despite storming their way to the League One title in 2019.
Barnsley and Charlton Athletic were also promoted that year, but both are embroiled in a relegation scrap with just a handful of fixtures remaining to preserve their status as Championship clubs. With that in mind, the Sky Blues are almost certainly going to have to get their transfer business spot on during what promises to be one of the most challenging summers in the history of the sport, but it’s great to see that Mark Robins and his staff aren’t waiting around.
It’s safe to say that over the last few seasons Coventry have cast their net a little wider when targeting potential newcomers, and the same can be said from what we have seen during this window thus far. Unlike some of our competitors who can afford higher wages to lure in top talents who are established names in English football, the Sky Blues are having to think outside the box a little more in order to add to a squad that already boasts a fair bit of promise.
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Last year saw the arrival of both Wesley Jobello and Gervane Kastaneer from France and the Netherlands respectively. While the aforementioned winger was sidelined for nearly all of his debut season with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, the latter has struggled to make his mark. Perhaps the Curaçao international’s uninspiring form could act as a warning sign, but there are bound to be a few deals that don’t work out, so I have no problem with Robins venturing into the foreign market once again. Enter Gustavo Hamer and Julien Dacosta…
Both come into the squad as relatively unknown prospects to us City fans and it remains to be seen whether they will be huge hits or flops. However, given some of the things I’ve read about Hamer in particular, it seems to be that they have every chance of being real coups. Liam Walsh’s return to Bristol City had left a pretty sizeable void in midfield, but our maiden recruit looks as if he could well be the man to fill it, and the pressure is on given the reported £1,500,000 fee it took to land the 23-year-old from PEC Zwolle of the Dutch Eredivisie.
That price tag makes him the most expensive signing since the Sky Blues brought in Freddy Eastwood from Wolverhampton Wanderers over a decade ago, so the pressure is certainly on his shoulders more than those of Dacosta who made the switch to the midlands on a free transfer. The 24-year-old versatile defender can play on both the left and right sides, so you would suspect he will provide healthy competition for Fankaty Dabo and Brandon Mason who will also be vying to be regular starters throughout 2020/21.
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As Robins and his staff press on with business over the next month or so, we will be able to assess where City stand in comparison to their rivals. We rightly gained plenty of plaudits for the manner in which we played last season, passing opposition teams to death at times, but that will presumably draw interest from clubs higher up the food chain. Michael Rose has already been linked with Leeds United amongst others due to his impressive displays in the heart of the back line, so fending off others and holding on to our prized assets will be high on the agenda too.
It’s inevitable that there may be a few more outgoings, but as long as we maintain the core of the group and add to it shrewdly, we stand a chance of holding our own back in the second tier. Although so much is up in the air at the moment as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it could well be an exciting pre-season for those connected to Coventry City. With a bit of luck we will be kick off the new season (whenever that may be) with an even stronger squad than we finished with in March when play was halted. I also have everything crossed that something gets sorted so that when supporters are allowed back into stadiums, we will be witnessing home games at the Ricoh Arena. This city deserves to rejoice in our achievements!
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