The Sky Blues were active right up until the transfer deadline, even bringing in a player on that day, as they were always seeking for methods to get stronger.
| Coventry City’s January 2024 transfer window | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Transfers in | |||
| Player | Deal | Joined/Joined from | Reported Fee |
| Victor Torp | Permanent | Sarpsborg | £1.2 million |
| Ephron Mason-Clark | Permanent | Peterborough United | £3.5 million |
| Transfers out | |||
| Kyle McFadzean | Permanent | Blackburn Rovers | Free |
| Tom Costello | Permanent | Galway United | Free |
| Justin Obikwu | Loan | Grimsby Town | N/A |
| Ephron Mason-Clark | Loan | Peterborough United | N/A |
Coventry City let Kyle McFadzean join Blackburn Rovers
However, as you can see above, the club made an intriguing departure during the window with the departure of seasoned center-half Kyle McFadzean.
Before the transfer deadline, the 36-year-old left the CBS Arena to sign a free transfer to Blackburn Rovers.
Considering that McFadzean’s departure was made possible by the Sky Blues’ permission to go, we were curious about the opinions of Coventry City fans over this choice.
We chatted with FLW’s Sky Blues fan analyst Neil Littlewood to gain his insight about McFadzean’s exit in order to better comprehend it.
Right time to allow McFadzean to leave
Neil told FLW that he was “absolutely gutted to see Fadz go, it feels like the end of an era” about the veteran defender’s exit.
“How helpful he has been to the club. An incredible man, a mountain.”
But the timing couldn’t have been more ideal. After missing games in November, he hasn’t featured on the field this season and hasn’t looked nearly as good as he did in the previous two years, when he was perhaps our greatest defender.
“When we added three center halves in the summer, including Joel Latibeaudiere, who can fill that kind of role, you could see the writing was on the wall. It feels like a little part of the torch has been passed thanks to Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching, who have both been really fantastic.
“He hasn’t grumbled, he hasn’t complained, but I think at his age, he needs to be playing football at this point of his career, and he deserves that.”
Neil is pleased with the way the club handled the matter and believes the time was appropriate.
“I’m glad that the club handled it the way that they did,” he said.
“They let him go, gave him the free move, and didn’t try to get in his path.
He’s been friends with Dom Hyam since they both attended Cov, and based on the interviews he’s done, it looks like he’ll be staying up there with Dom Hyam.
From that perspective, it’s encouraging to see that he will at last resume playing football and be content.
“And well done, Blackburn. They have an absolute stalwart in the form of a seasoned center-half who should aid them for the remainder of the season—let’s just hope it’s not the season’s second-to-last game when we visit.
The writing is on the wall, though, as we must travel to Blackburn away, just like we did the previous year, if we want to qualify for the play-offs.
“I’m not expecting a Ben Wilson goal, but I’ll take a Kyle McFadzean own-goal in the 89th minute.”
The figures from McFadzean’s Coventry career
Neil mentioned earlier that McFadzean’s career with the Sky Blues was excellent, and even though it ended in the end, it was probably the right moment for him to leave.
The defender, who participated in League One and the Championship with the team and was instrumental in their recent rise, leaves the CBS Arena.
In fact, McFadzean has made 171 appearances in all competitions since 2019.
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