“A massive problem” – Coventry City urged to capitalise on Galatasaray interest with January sale | OneFootball

Coventry City fan pundit Ryan Murphy has issued his thoughts on the future of Milan van Ewijk, with a move to Galatasaray on the cards.

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 will be hoping they can challenge for a top six spot during the second half of the season under Frank Lampard.

The Sky Blues currently sit 14th in the second tier, with the former Chelsea midfielder registering three victories, two draws and two defeats from his seven Championship outings so far.

Aiming to create stability at the club after his appointment, the January transfer window comes at the perfect time to bolster the squad, with some key incomings and outgoings having the potential to change the course of Coventry’s season.

One Sky Blues player who has been linked with a move away from the CBS Arena is Dutch defender Milan van Ewijk, who has been based in the West Midlands since 2023 after joining from his native side Heerenveen.

Coventry City fan pundit Ryan Murphy has outlined his stance on the situation and has advised the club on the next steps they should take.

Coventry City urged to cash in on Milan van Ewijk

Despite starting every league game for Coventry so far this campaign, Murphy believes the club should still be looking to move the 24-year-old on for his poor performances, with the full-back touted to join Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Speaking to Football League World, Murphy said: “Milan van Ewijk was great last season. He had a few dips in form here and there, but it was expected during his first season in English football, but when he got going, he was a very fast, attacking player, but for some reason, this season, he has shown none of that.

“Whenever he gets the ball, instead of looking to create an attack, he will turn back and pass it back to the defenders or even the goalkeeper, and then the opposition can press on us and get on the front foot, so his game has changed completely, and he’s a massive problem for us.

“He was a big outlet last season, with a lot of our attacks coming from down the right-hand side. Now we haven’t got anything down both flanks. With Haji Wright out injured and Ephron Mason-Clark missing, the creativity from the left has been killed, so we are now relying on something from the right, and if van Ewijk isn’t on it, then it’s non-existent.”

Murphy added: “Right now, Van Ewijk is the most frustrating player to watch at Coventry City, especially how well he played last season compared to now. It’s all passing backwards and it’s like he’s petrified to try and take anyone on and make a mistake.

“If an offer came in with profit for Van Ewijk right now, then I would snap their hands off. We need wholesale changes at this club and some change of personnel, otherwise the mentality of the side is going to stay the same, and Van Ewijk is one of few players we could probably make a profit on.

“I would take that profit and look to buy a couple of players with it because we will be making a loss with him if he carries on playing like he is.

“He would be on the bench for me if we had anyone else to bring in, but we don’t, so I’d try and sell him and bring in two players in his position to add a bit of competition, or bring a single player in his position and then a left-wing back to try and get two attacking full-backs in order to make us harder to defend against, because right now it’s not working and something needs to change.”

Strong words about Milan van Ewijk’s future

Despite being prominent in Frank Lampard’s plans so far, it appears Van Ewijk is only making consistent appearances due to the lack of competition in the Coventry squad.

His confidence has undoubtedly been shattered given such a poor first half of the season, and supporters are clearly growing frustrated with his lack of ability to turn his performances around.

A move away in January could be just what Van Ewijk needs to restore some confidence into his game while being in a new environment, and Coventry would welcome funds in order to add more creativity to the squad to push themselves up the table.

If a move to Galatasaray does develop, then Coventry should do what they can to push it through and swap an out-of-sorts figure for younger and hungrier players who can have a positive impact for the remainder of the season.