The Sky Blues have been dealt a blow as their target will now join a major European club instead.
After falling short of the playoffs last season, the ambition at Coventry City will be to reinforce the side and put themselves in the best position possible to finally make the step up out of the Championship, but they’ve been dealt an early blow to their summer plans.
Sky Blues set for summer reinforcements
After losing star players Viktor Gyökeres and Gustavo Hamer following the Wembley heartbreak of 2022/23, this summer once again looks to be one in which some of the Sky Blues’ top talents leave for big fees.
Ben Sheaf has attracted much of the interest with a host of premiership sides eager to agree a deal for the midfielder. Among the parties eyeing a move for the 26-year-old are Manchester United, who are linked with a £21 million bid. As with the combined £35million received for Gyökeres and Hamer, the Sky Blues are once again likely to reinvest any potential fee from Sheaf back into the playing squad.
Coventry are rarely a side that sell without someone lined up, as shown in the signing of Haji Wright to replace Gyökeres last summer. With this in mind, it appears that Coventry had already agreed a deal to bring a highly rated midfielder to the West Midlands, only to lose out at the last second.
Coventry agree deal for midfield talent but move collapses
As reported by Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Coventry had agreed a deal to sign Red Star Belgrade’s Marko Stamenic. Citing a fee in the region of £4million, the outlet claimed that the Sky Blues had fended off interest from Premier League side Nottingham Forest to get the deal over the line.
However, the player has since rejected the move to the second tier due to a desire to play in the top flight, and will now join Forest before moving to Olympiakos – who recently won the UEFA Conference League – on loan, according to reports in Greece.
Coventry had been scouting the 22-year-old for some time, with the holding midfielder seen as a suitable partner for Sheaf that could have even been the successor to the Englishman if he is to depart this summer. The New Zealand international made 22 league appearances as his side finished top of the Serbian SuperLiga last season.
Stamenic also featured four times in Red Star’s Champions League campaign last season. The midfielder scored once as his side finished bottom of a group that featured Manchester City, RB Leipzig and BSC Young Boys.
Despite his strong peformances for Red Star, it has long been felt that the 22-year-old’s future lied outside of Serbia. Speaking on the interest from Coventry earlier this month, Stamenic’s current coach Nenad Milijas sang the praises of the midfielder telling the press: “Stamenić is a quality player who showed quality at the beginning and end of his stay at the Maracana. I hope he does well in Coventry.
“Marko is excellently prepared, even for a tough league such as the Championship.He will have no problems with the physical requirements, the rest will be helped by the people from the club so that he can play well for Coventry from the first game.”
However, the Sky Blues will now have to watch on as their top target performs on the European stage with the 47-time Greek champions next season.
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