Coventry City must launch Hull City, Charlie Hughes raid ASAP if Bobby Thomas leaves for Sheffield United | OneFootball

Coventry should prioritise Hull City defender if Bobby Thomas exits for Sheffield United

Coventry City defender Bobby Thomas has been subject of surprise transfer speculation in the past week, with Sheffield United making a move to try and sign the centre-back.

It was reported last week by journalist Pete O'Rourke via X that the Blades had made a blockbuster £8 million offer for the defender, as they look to fill the gap left by Bosnian centre-half Anel Ahmedhodzic, who has signed for Dutch giants Feyenoord.

With Thomas going into his third season with the Sky Blues, he has been a staple in first Mark Robins and Frank Lampard's side, having made 40 league appearances in the 2024-25 season and he played 44 times in his debut campaign at the CBS Arena.

The 24-year-old continues to impress, having made a bright start to this season despite talks about his future going on in the background. Thomas got himself on the scoresheet by kicking off the scoring in Coventry's 3-5 thriller away to Derby County, and whilst he may have been part of shipping three goals, he's still very much a highly-rated defender.

However, with his time at Coventry potentially coming to an end with Sheffield United making a huge and ambitious move, Coventry must look for a suitable replacement in the mean-time if the worst comes to fruition - and it looks as though a Championship rival may hold the key.

Charlie Hughes should be top of Coventry City's list if Bobby Thomas exits for Sheffield United

Another player that has had a lot of talk surrounding his name is Hull City defender Charlie Hughes. After signing from Wigan in 2024, Hughes has offered stability at the back and is a big reason as to why the Tigers earned survival last season.

The 21-year-old has continued his good form into this season and is considered to be a vital part of new manager Sergej Jakirovic's team. The Tigers don't want to sell Hughes, however, with top Championship clubs such as the likes of Sheffield United and Coventry City wanting his signature, if the price is right, it may be difficult for Hull to say no to improved offers.

It's been reported via HullLive that City have already rejected two bids for their prized possession from Coventry as they are unwilling to sell Hughes to a Championship rival, but everyone has their valuation when it is all said and done.

If Thomas does depart Coventry for Bramall Lane this summer, the £8m or potentially more that the Sky Blues could get for him must go towards finally getting the Hughes deal over the line - even it it takes the bidding going into eight figures, as he could be something really special a few years down the line.

Coventry City fans think that Charlie Hughes is worth breaking the bank for - Doug King now has to act

In Coventry's Championship opener this season against Hull, Hughes was certainly the star-man as he was rock solid at the back, which certainly got Sky Blues fans excited if he was to make a move as a replacement for Thomas.

Sky Blues fans took to X to express how impressed they were with their defensive target, with one account in particular station: "Now go out and get Charlie Hughes, outstanding today."

At just 21 years of age, Hughes has two full seasons of EFL football under his belt, and you get the feeling that he's only going to get better the more he plays and develops.

Coventry's current £7.7 million transfer record, which was used to purchase striker Haji Wright, potentially needs to be broken to bring the right player in this summer, with little in the way of new arrivals for Lampard's squad, but in the final two weeks of the transfer window, Doug King needs to back his manager with the right players - Hughes being one of them, and especially if Thomas leaves.