What Doug King said:

“Look, I want us to be promoted. I am an ambitious man who looks at everything carefully, and if we can build our squad on the foundations and nucleus we have now in a wonderful way, we will move forward. We are currently working on it, believe me. I’ve received far too many calls. So we’re chatting about it and working on it.”

What Mark Robins said:

“I anticipate reasonable recruitment and movement, but not as much as last year.”But it will not be unimportant.

Who’s leaving?

So far, two permanent senior players have departed the club: midfielder and captain Liam Kelly and custodian Simon Moore, whose contracts expire this summer. A third player, Callum O’Hare, is expected to follow them out as a free agent unless he changes his mind and accepts City’s offer of a new deal. But that is exceedingly unlikely.

Dermi Lusala and Bradley Stretton, both under-21 players, have also been discharged by the club.

Players who may draw bids:

Ben Sheaf, City’s Player of the Season and likely to take the captain’s armband after Liam Kelly’s departure, has been linked with Luton Town. Fulham and newly promoted Ipswich Town are also reportedly interested.

Fans can certainly expect another summer of transfer speculation surrounding the former Arsenal prospect with dreams to return to the Premier League. The club is certainly desperate to keep him, and there is no indication that he wishes to leave. But we all know how it works, and each player has a price.

Other players who may attract attention include Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, who have great goal records, but the fact that they have only been with the Sky Blues for one season and are anticipated to be much better next season means any interest is likely to be met with a firm ‘hands off’.

Are any contracted players scheduled to be surplus to requirements?

Matty Godden was plainly disappointed with his limited playing time in the second half of the season and, as a result, may be eager to move on despite having another year on his contract. The 32-year-old has provided excellent service to the Sky Blues, but he is said to want more regular playing time, which is doubtful at City with Ellis Simms and Haji Wright ahead of him, both of whom scored 19 goals last season.Charlton Athletic has already been linked.

Ben Wilson, too, may feel that after his stellar season in 2022/23, in which he established himself as City’s No.1, kept a record 22 clean sheets, won the Golden Glove, and was named to the EFL Team of the Year, he wants to move elsewhere as a first-choice performer rather than playing second fiddle to Brad Collins. There is also a good case for Robins to sign another custodian, which would push Wilson lower down the pecking order.

Jake Bidwell, a third player, too appears to have an uncertain future. Although a consistent and popular campaigner who reclaimed his left-back shirt from Jay Dasilva last season, it is known that Robins wants to reinforce the position with a more energetic, attack-minded full-back in the Van Ewijk mould.Bidwell’s future has been uncertain before, as he nearly transferred to Birmingham during the January 2023 transfer window when City failed to sign Dasilva.

Ryan Howley, a midfielder, has struggled to make an impact at Dundee, while Jack Burroughs, a versatile player, has had a great run at League One Lincoln.Both will return to the team in preseason, where they will learn what the management has planned for them.

Current status of loan returns:

Last season, City had only one loan player, centre-half Luis Binks from Serie A club Bologna. The 22-year-old has returned to his parent club following a mixed season in terms of appearances, with 15 Championship starts and 23 outings in all competitions.

The defender impressed both the manager and fans during his appearances, and Robins has hinted that he might join the club permanently if certain conditions are met.Binks wishes to leave Italy and return to England permanently, but with two years remaining on his contract, he may incur a fee. His salaries could possibly be an issue.

Robins stated, “He’s a fantastic lad who has performed admirably in the dressing room. The lads adore him, and we want to stay in touch with him and see how things progress. But it will come later and will be determined by a variety of circumstances.

What positions will they be pursuing?

City’s assistant manager, Adi Viveash, recently confirmed in an exclusive interview with CoventryLive that the team will want to add elite talent on the right wing to fight with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto next season.They already have Ephron Mason-Clark, the Peterborough United winger they signed but had to loan back in January to compete for the left-hand position.

If O’Hare leaves as predicted, another attacking midfielder/number 10 will be needed to compete with Kasey Palmer, and depending on what happens with Matty Godden, City will likely be looking for another goal scorer.

Based on the assumption that most managers have two players for each position, another center-back will be required. As previously indicated, Binks is an option, but it remains to be seen what happens.

If Milan van Ewijk returns to his more natural right-back spot next season after stepping in excellently for the injured Sakamoto, City may wish to add competition for him, albeit the flexible Joel Latibeaudiere has played a number of games at the position. However, one assumes that the manager sees him more as a centre-back, the position for which he was originally signed last summer.

Another talented centre midfielder is likely to be sought to supplement the present roster, and don’t be surprised if a custodian is brought in following Brad Collins’ underwhelming season.

Are any names linked?

City are reportedly interested in highly regarded Scotland Under-21 international Connor Barron, who will be out of contract this summer. The 21-year-old Aberdeen midfielder has been offered a new contract, but interest in the deep-lying playmaker is growing, with the Sky Blues and Swansea of the English Championship said to be ‘keen,’ according to our sister title the Daily Record, while Bologna is said to have joined the growing list of Italian clubs considering a summer move for the player.

Fellow Italian clubs Cagliari and Sassuolo have already expressed an interest in him, although any offers would be contingent on their top-flight survival. Bologna has received positive reviews on the midfielder, who has been instrumental in the Reds’ recent recovery.

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