Coventry City transfer news from CoventryLive as we take a look at eleven outstanding players who have slipped out of the Championship and could provide rich pickings in the summer window

Coventry City are still in the process of drawing up two working transfer lists for very different outcomes – one fit for purpose in the Premier League and another if they live to fight another season in the Championship.

The Sky Blues are now just two steps away from a potential return to top flight football. If they succeed, the club will be shopping in a very different market to the one if they remain in the second tier for another term.

Either way, however, there are plenty of talented players out there who could arguably do a job at the next level, not least among those dropping out of the division.

Looking at the three relegated Championship clubs, the vultures will be circling over Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town eyeing up the juicy morsels who will want to be playing at a higher level than League One.

Luton, who banked £100m from their year in the big time, insisted they didn’t need to sell any players for financial reasons when they were relegated to the Championship last summer but they still couldn’t keep Ross Barkley or Chiedozie Ogbene. It will be interesting to see how they make it through the next few months.

This time last year the Sky Blues picked up Jack Rudoni, who has gone on to be the buy of the season and showing every bit that he’s a potential Premier League prospect.

Luton captain hasn’t found the net so frequently in 2024/25 but he scored 11 in the Premier League last year and 20 as Luton went up before that. He had been a handful for Barnsley in the Championship for the two previous seasons too.

Former Luton boss Rob Edwards said: “His goals were influential but whenever I spoke about him it was his all-round game and what he brought to the team, whether it was hold-up play, work-rate, headers, defensive headers in his own box from corners. It was everything that he gave the team, as well as the goal threat.”

Now Morris is planning for his first season in League One since a loan at MK Dons from Norwich in 2020/21.

He was asked if the club had underestimated the hangover of relegation from the top flight and told the Lutonian: “Oh, yeah. You could you could rattle off six or seven contributing factors to what led us to the position we are now, for sure. It’s unfortunate. Obviously, I’m not going to go into detail on that. But you know, it is what it is. We need to we need to get our heads on next season.”

Callum O’Dowda – Cardiff City, left-back, aged 30

Republic of Ireland international, who can play on the wing or in defence, was a regular at Oxford United and Bristol City before joining Cardiff in 2022 and closing in on 100 appearances.

Missed most of 2023/24 due to injuries but no one played more for Cardiff in 24/25 as he demonstrated natural athleticism. His sister Jade O’Dowda is a heptathlete international for England.

Former boss Omer Riza told WalesOnline recently: “He is a great character, well spoken, articulate, a standout performer, good with the youngsters and seniors, good with the staff, does his community stuff. He is captain material.

“It’s important to always lead by example on the pitch and he does that. His injuries have left him in a position where he hasn’t played as much as he would have liked, but this season he has been robust. Off the pitch he handles himself in a dignified manner and is very respectful.

“He takes his time to think about what he wants to say. He takes his time when he’s absorbing what you’re telling him. He’s quite a deep character, but I’ve got on well with him from the minute I’ve walked in through the door.”

Out of contract this summer, the powerful forward having scored 11 goals in all competitions in 2024/25 and set up another seven. Coventry fans and Frank Lampard know all about the winger who bagged a brace and set up the third in the 3-1 Home Park defeat last month.

Miron Muslic told PlymouthLive: “On a personal level I think he was brilliant. I have a reputation of being capable to develop players, and his development the last four months was outstanding, even today. I think Mustapha Bundu has qualities and you know my opinion about him.”

Thomas Kaminski – Luton Town, goalkeeper, aged 32

Signed for Luton from Blackburn in the summer of 2023 and has been a regular since then. Was named player of the season last week. And with Coventry current goalkeeper situation, including Oliver Dovin being out for several months with an ACL, Lampard may well be in the market for a new stopper regardless of what division the Sky Blues are in next season.

Matt Bloomfield said: “He conceded more goals earlier in the season than he would like to and for any human it’s not always easy to take but in recent weeks we can see him playing with confidence and we hope that continues.

“I think Thomas has been fantastic. He came and took one at Cardiff which was just amazing, then the moment in the (Hull) game when we needed him and the confidence he’s playing with at the moment, it gives that assurance to the boys in front of him which is really crucial to us.”

Ryan Hardie – Plymouth Argyle, forward, aged 28

Former Steven Schumacher favourite scored 10 league goals as Plymouth went down, which makes it double figures in each of his last four seasons between the Championship and League One.

PlymouthLive write: “Hardie netted only twice up until the end of January but he was moved to a number 10 role after Miron Muslic succeeded Wayne Rooney as head coach and the goals started to flow for him again.

“Argyle’s player-of-the-year is under contract to the Pilgrims until the end of the 2025/26 season but after their relegation, and given his form of late, speculation about other clubs wanting to sign him this summer is inevitable.”

Thelo Aasgaard – Luton Town, midfielder, aged 23

Luton had the cash to outmuscle Championship rivals when they swooped for Aasgaard from Wigan for about £3m in January – Stoke were among the clubs linked – and the Liverpool-born Norway midfielder proved a central figure as they found form which made staying up a realistic prospect.

Matt Bloomfield told The Luton News recently: “Thelo’s top, he’s got top quality in my mind, there’s no doubt. He’s been fantastic in training, he’s got goals in his feet, he can use both feet, can go both ways, I think we saw glimpses in his early games and maybe that’s dialled down slightly in his last couple of games, but he’s really done his defensive work diligently as well.

“Thelo has been fantastic for us, he’s been a real good investment for our football club, I believe he’s going to go on and have a top career. He’s going to be a top player, I’ve said it for a number of years in League One that he can make the step up.

“Athletically he was running away from people as well which is not easy to do when you step up the level. He’s going to be a top player and I hope he’s going to be here for many years too and help drive this club forward. He’s a player of considerable football intelligence,

“He’s really spatially aware, he knows when he needs to bump a player and protect the ball, he knows when he’s got a minute to do his magic and get away from someone. He’s been a top performer in the division below, he’s played in this division before and I have real belief that he will go and step up. He’s a boy that we believe can have a real big future for us. We can’t heap too much on him, but on the evidence, he’s doing just fine.”

Millenic Alli – Luton Town, forward, aged 25

Signed from Exeter for £1.5m in January and has shown glimpses he can be an entertaining game-changer in the Championship, compete with aback flip goal celebration. Considers himself a striker but has been used as left wing-back too.

Was playing non-league with FC Halifax until last summer but scored his first goal at this level against Stoke on April 8 and ended up with four.

Matt Bloomfield said after watching his battle at Stoke with Junior Tchamadeu – who had been a defender for Bloomfield at Colchester: “Once or twice early on he didn’t quite beat Junior as a full back but we asked him just to keep getting at him because Milli is a big outlet for us. We know those one v one moments that he can bring from his time at Exeter, so I thought he was excellent and fully deserved his goal.

“The thing with Mills is he can shoot off both feet. He can go both ways and for a defender that must be a nightmare because you show him down the line and he can go outside and hit with his left, you cover that side, he can chop inside. His goals for Exeter earlier in the season, he was scoring with both feet. We knew that we had a boy that we believed could take to the next level.

“Obviously he’s risen up the pyramid quite quickly from Halifax to Exeter to Luton, but he’s not moaned once. He’s not started enough games really for his liking since he made the move but he’s not grizzled, he’s not moaned, he’s not knocked on my door, he’s just got on with his work and he works really hard every day. I’m really proud of him. He’s a great young man

Jordan Clark – Luton Town, midfielder, aged 31

Nominated for Championship player of the month in March having been instrumental in Luton’s turnaround in form. Scored the winner against Portsmouth and a beauty at Cardiff.

Has been with the Hatters since 2020, playing regularly in the Championship and Premier League to close in on 200 appearances just as he had done previously over four years with Accrington Stanley in League Two and League One.

Was signed as a winger by Nathan Jones, who described him as “the best free transfer in history”, but has played at wing-back too and finally emerged in central midfield.

Jones loved him, to the point that when the former Stoke boss was asked about Amari’I Bell facing Lionel Messi in an international game, he said: “He plays against Jordan Clark every day so it’s pretty similar.”

He added: “(Clark) is a wonderful player, a wonderful character, can play anywhere, he is just superb. Whatever I ask him to do, he’s fantastic, trains brilliantly every day, one of the top high speed runners, workers, productivity, everything.

“I’m really, really delighted with him and we’re delighted we have got him because he is a fantastic character, not only a good player as well. So whatever you want to say about him, I would endorse it no problem.”

Maksym Talovierov – Plymouth Argyle, centre-back, aged 24

Became Plymouth’s record signing when he joined from Austrian club LASK Linz late in January, with a reported fee of about £1.7m. Was superb in 11 appearances, scoring twice, before a knee injury derailed his season and Argyle’s hopes of staying up.

Miron Muslic said: “Maksym is a commanding presence who will add height and physicality to the side, but he is also good on the ball and technically good. Most importantly, he is a good defender.”

Yousef Salech – Cardiff City, striker, aged 23

The 6ft 5in striker scored nine times in 22 games after joining from Swedish club Sirius in January for a fee believed to be between £3m and £4m.

Cardiff caretaker Aaron Ramsey said this week: “There’s always going to be interest in players of his quality. That’s part of football. He showed again what he’s capable of doing. He’s a fantastic player and he’s only going to get better.

“Some of the goals he’s scored and it’s not just that, it’s what he does off the ball, that effort he puts in is not to be sniffed at. He’s a serious player who’s only going to get better.”

He added: “We always want to keep our best players and he’s no different. There’s a few things that need to be addressed over the coming weeks and hopefully that will give some clarity to everyone – players, staff, fans, everyone. That’s the next step.”

Callum Robinson – Cardiff City, striker, aged 30

Former England youth international who plays for Republic of Ireland at senior level has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with Cardiff, scoring 12 times in 2024/25 – although 11 were before he signed a new long-term contract late in January.