“There’s no point” – Coventry City urged to sell £25k-a-week star this summer on one clear condition
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Coventry City have been urged to cash in on key forward Haji Wright this summer, as long as they can recoup the £7.7 million fee paid for him in 2023, following some poor performances over the last season since Frank Lampard was appointed as boss.
The Sky Blues’ impressive campaign came to a gut-wrenching end last week, as Dan Ballard’s late extra-time header saw Sunderland seal a place in the play-off final against Sheffield United to leave Lampard’s side to face another term in the second-tier.
Coventry are bound to be busy in the upcoming summer window as they look to regroup and maintain a squad worthy of making the top-six for the third time in four years.
Lampard may well look to sanction some high-profile exits as he tackles his first summer as Sky Blues boss, and Wright has been predicted to be one of those following his struggles over the last few months.
Coventry fan pundit urges Haji Wright summer sale on one condition – there is ‘no point’ keeping him
Wright joined Coventry for a club-record £7.7m fee from Turkish side Antalyaspor in August 2023, on a four-year contract which is said to see him earn an estimated weekly wage of £25,000, and he was hugely impressive in his maiden campaign at the CBS Arena, with 19 goals and eight assists in 50 games across all competitions.
The versatile forward’s two crowning moments in sky blue so far came in the FA Cup that season, as his 100th-minute winner against Wolves sent Mark Robins’ side into the semi-final against Manchester United, then he also netted a last-minute penalty in that game at Wembley to complete an almighty Coventry comeback from 3-0 down to 3-3.
His second campaign at the club was less successful on a personal level, despite the Sky Blues’ better performances as a team, as he registered 12 goals and one assist in a season disrupted by a three-month ankle injury layoff.
The USA international scored just twice in the club’s final 10 league outings of the term, including those two play-off games against Sunderland, the latter of which saw him miss a golden chance to win the tie for his side deep into added-time at the end of the 90 as he crashed a free-header well wide of the target.
Wright has drawn criticism from Coventry supporters over recent months for his poor showings, and FLW’s Sky Blues fan pundit, Chris Deez, wants to see him sold this summer, as a result, but only for a fee that either matches or eclipses what the club paid for him two years ago.
“Haji Wright is a bit of a weird one. He had a fantastic first season, playing alongside Ellis Simms when Mark Robins was still here,” Chris told FLW.
“Maybe (Robins) knew the key to getting the best out of Haji, I don’t know. Obviously he had that long injury layoff this season, under Lampard.
“He was out for about four months, and when he came back, within a couple of games he hit that amazing hat-trick against Sunderland and looked like he had rediscovered his form.
