Football League World
·3 November 2024
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·3 November 2024
Five first-teamers are set to leave the CBS Arena this summer if their contracts are not renewed
There has been massive changes at Coventry City since cashing in on Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer last summer, and with Callum O'Hare also leaving this past summer, the new-look squad isn't faring as well as hoped.
Despite a slow start, there are some encouraging signs that Mark Robins can turn the Sky Blues' fortunes around. A 3-2 victory over fellow strugglers Luton Town offered a brief reprieve for the legendary City boss, as his team looked to climb the table.
With a strong squad at his disposal, Robins will be relieved that only a reported five players are entering the final year of their contract.
Whilst none of these are crucial first-teamers, the 54-year-old will still have some big decisions to make regarding the future of these players.
Coventry's season could go either way, as it's still early doors. Of course, depending on what division the Sky Blues are in, these decisions may differ.
Given what has happened in recent seasons, relegation seems highly unlikely, but it can't be fully ruled out given the club's early season position.
Without further ado, these are the five players set to depart Coventry in the summer of 2025, according to TransferMarkt.
Bidwell has racked up nearly 600 career appearances after starting in Everton's academy. The full-back has established himself as a reliable servant to the clubs he's represented, having made a total of over 100 appearances for four different clubs.
With over 200 of these coming from Brentford, Bidwell bid farewell to Griffin Park in 2016, swapping the Bees for London rivals Queens Park Rangers. A move to Swansea City then followed before he arrived at the CBS Arena in 2021. The left-back played 48 times in 2022-23, as the Midlands outfit reached the Championship play-off final.
Since then, minutes have decreased for the former Brentford man, and he has failed to feature in several of Coventry's Championship outings this season. However, now 31, Bidwell offers a great experienced option for the Sky Blues, who could be crucial in tough times like they find themselves in now.
With still a fair few years left in the tank, it would be a shock to see Bidwell depart. Depending on the game time he is afforded this season, though, it isn't outside the realm of possibility.
After joining from Burton Albion in 2019/20, Jamie Allen is another long-serving player who could be set to depart the CBS Arena this summer. The number eight finds himself pretty much surplus to requirements, with just a handful of appearances this season.
In a similar tale to Bidwell, Allen's game time has begun to decrease in recent years. He was another star of the season that saw the Sky Blues almost reach the Premier League, but his playing time has taken a hit since then.
At 29 years of age, Allen is at what most would describe as the peak of his powers. With this in mind, the midfielder will certainly want to play consistently, which hasn't been the case at Coventry lately.
From the club's perspective, allowing Allen to depart may be the best-case scenario. It allows the former FA Cup semi-finalists to free up space and wages in their squad, which they can use towards new signings that might feature more than him.
After a successful stint together, it might be best for both parties to move on.
Ben Wilson's time at the CBS Arena has been fruitful, to say the least. Fans will have fond memories of his heroic 95th-minute equaliser against Blackburn Rovers in their famous 2022/23 campaign.
The longest-serving player on this list, Wilson, has been with Coventry since 2019 but has surprisingly only been the out-and-out number one once, which was in their run to the Championship play-off final.
During this campaign, the stopper kept 20 clean sheets, which was the highest in the division.
Sadly, the 32-year-old now finds himself as the backup once again. Oliver Dovin was brought in as the successor to Wilson but has been less-than-convincing since his arrival. This has seen Wilson called upon occasionally, where he performed modestly.
There would be plenty of clubs interested in Wilson, should he become available. However, the experienced shot-stopper is the perfect backup for Robins and has proven he can do a job when called upon.
If Wilson is happy to take that role, there's no reason for him to depart the Midlands club.
Portuguese forward Fabio Tavares has been at Coventry since January 2021. The then-teenager caught their eye playing for League One strugglers Rochdale, which saw Robins move to snap him up.
However, he's only made a handful of appearances for the club, becoming a bit of a forgotten man at the CBS Arena due to a long-term achilles injury suffered in 2023.
The 23-year-old has never made more than twenty league appearances in a single season in his career thus far. This will be a frustrating stat for Tavares, as his development has been hindered.
With no loan moves as well, it would be fair to say that his time at Coventry hasn't lived up to what he'd have hoped upon arrival.
For this reason, likely, Tavares won't be handed a new deal come the summer. For the young striker's career to progress, he must move on and find a club where he can expect consistent playing time.
Not much is known about former Wales under-17s goalkeeper Cian Tyler. The 22-year-old has come through the ranks at Coventry but is yet to make a single appearance for the Sky Blues. He got a taste of first-team action at Hereford two years ago but hasn't tasted it since.
This one will be 50/50 for Robins potentially, as they evaluate whether the young keeper has a future in Coventry. A loan move in the second half of the season could give Tyler an opportunity to prove himself as a viable option for the future.
However, if the staff come to the decision that the goalkeeper would be better off furthering his career elsewhere, he will be allowed to depart.