Coventry City told transfer must to avoid immediate Premier League relegation

Coventry City should target experienced signings to ensure that they secure their Premier League status.

That’s according to their former manager Gordon Strachan, who has cited Granit Xhaka and Jordan Henderson as successful examples for Sunderland and Brentford respectively.

Getty

Coventry confirmed their promotion back to the Premier League on Friday night with a 1-1 draw away at Blackburn Rovers.

The Sky Blues have finally ended their 25-year wait to return to the top flight, and could still win the Championship title.

Next season’s primary aim will be to avoid the drop, something that newly-promoted sides have struggled to achieve.

But Strachan, who managed Coventry the last time they played in the Premier League, has suggested how they steer away from relegation.

“You’ve got a decision to make when you get promoted,” he said on White and Jordan for talkSPORT.

“You can either stay… I think Frank (Lampard), if he’s using his heart, would like to keep these players, every one of these players, who have worked so hard over the last couple of years, you want to give them a chance. The other side of it is you want to stay in the Premiership.

“If you look back at Howard Wilkinson when we (Leeds United) got promoted from the Championship, he then went, ‘Right, that was the Championship’, (Gary) McAllister, (Tony) Dorigo, (Rod) Wallace, all these players, Stevie Hodge, they came in.

“I don’t think they can afford that kind of money and they shouldn’t, because Coventry fans should never be put in a situation again where the club’s on the brink. If you’re the custodian of the club, you make sure that the community is looked after.

“What they might want to do is, and there’s other clubs who come up and go for younger players, want to sell them on. It’s been proven that doesn’t work.

“What can happen is, if you look at Sunderland, Granit Xhaka. I think having him in the tunnel beside all these players who worked so hard to get there, that type of person in the tunnel where you look and go, ‘I’m glad you’re here’.

Getty

Getty

“It’s like Henderson at Brentford. When they walk out, he’s there, wonderful. If (James) Milner was still 35, Milner. If Harry Maguire wants to move on, Harry Maguire.

“You maybe have two or three of those players in there, and the rest of the players know that they’re going to be on a bit more wages than them, but they’re going to make them better players and be successful, you can accept that.

“I think that might be the road that they go down.”

Coventry begin Prem prep

The 2026/27 Premier League season does not begin until August 22, but Coventry have already made a signing.

Frank Onyeka will join the club from Brentford after his loan spell.

Onyeka signed for Coventry in January on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Getty

As part of the move, they were obligated to complete a permanent transfer if promotion was achieved.

Carl Rushworth has been one of their standout performers en route to promotion after signing on loan from Brighton in the summer.

He has kept 16 clean sheets in the Coventry net and was nominated for the Championship Player of the Season award.

Coventry could eye a permanent move this summer, but owner Doug King told talkSPORT that it is yet to have crossed his mind.