Exclusive: What Lee Hendrie has said on Coventry City plotting Emil Riis transfer - He's not an Ellis Simms upgrade | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie spoke exclusively to FLW about Coventry's interest in Emil Riis and whether the Dane would be an Ellis Simms upgrade

Coventry City will be looking to fine-tune the squad available at Frank Lampard's disposal in order to power a fresh promotion push after being dumped out of the Championship play-off semi-finals in heartbreaking fashion to eventual final winners Sunderland at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Sky Blues were among the Championship's best teams following Lampard's appointment at the end of November, and the ex-Derby County and Chelsea boss ultimately guided the side to a fifth-placed finish after taking over from Mark Robins when they were all the way down in 17th.

Lampard, of course, will be aware that improvements in certain areas - namely across the backline and in the final third - are required to take Coventry to the next level and back to the Premier League.

It appears as though Coventry are, unsurprisingly, setting their sights on a new striker signing in the coming weeks and months. According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Lampard's side are in the race for Preston North End forward Emil Riis ahead of his departure from Deepdale at the end of his contract later this month but face competition from last season's play-off finalists Sheffield United and a number of other unnamed Championship clubs.

Coventry are, at least in terms of quality and goalscoring prowess, rather short-staffed in the striking department. Norman Bassette and Brandon Thomas-Asante, who were both acquired last summer, registered just six combined Championship strikes in 24/25, while Ellis Simms - a reported £8 million signing from Everton in the summer of 2023 as a replacement for Viktor Gyokeres - failed to follow up on a more-than-respectable 19-goal haul across all competitions in his debut campaign and found the back of the net on just six occasions in the Championship.

The 24-year-old's inconsistent displays saw him lose his place to Haji Wright, who is just as comfortable on the left-hand side of a front three as he is leading the line, and he did not get a single minute on the pitch across both legs against Sunderland, which, to many, has been interpreted as a clear message of just where he stands in Lampard's thinking ahead of this summer's window.

Lee Hendrie plays down Ellis Simms, Coventry City upgrade involving Emil Riis

Riis has established himself as a proven and consistent Championship goalscorer over recent seasons. He recorded 12 goals last time out and will leave Paul Heckingbottom's side this summer with a total of 46 strikes from 186 appearances across five years.

It's little surprise, then, that the Dane is representing an appealing proposition on a free transfer to a number of second-tier sides. Coventry clearly envisage him as something of an upgrade on Simms, but Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie doesn't quite see it that way.

In Hendrie's view, Riis would be "something very similar" to Simms, whom he believes more is still to come from. While Hendrie does acknowledge that the Preston striker could be worthy of a punt on a free transfer, he is skeptical about whether Riis will offer the upgrade on Simms that many Sky Blues supporters are hoping for this summer.

"Coventry are keen on Emil Riis as well, who is set to leave on a free," Hendrie explained when speaking exclusively to Football League World.

"Would he be an upgrade on Ellis Simms? I don't think so personally, I really don't.

"I think there is still more to come from Simms. The thing with him is he's got Haji Wright there, who has really stepped up his game after joining the club. The only thing with Simms is the goal contributions haven't really been there for someone of his calibre.

"They brought him in as their main striker and he hasn't been able to fit the bill for them. I'm not sure it would be an upgrade, I think you're getting something very similar.

"It might suit him and he could suit Lampard's style of play at Coventry, some players go stale at a club and that's obviously what's happened with Riis [at Preston].

"Maybe that punt on a free transfer wouldn't be a bad one knowing that he could potentially come in and step up to the plate.

"Obviously there are a few clubs interested, that would probably be a better solution for him than Sheffield United."

Coventry City may need better than Emil Riis to truly challenge for promotion

Although last season's evidence does suggest that, despite Hendrie's argument, Riis could offer at least something of an upgrade on Simms and Coventry's other existing striking options, such as Bassette and Thomas-Asante, his goalscoring record in Lancashire doesn't exactly tell you he could be the ultra-prolific talisman Coventry may need to go one better and make it back to the top-flight.

Riis' most prolific campaign for Preston came in the 2021/22 season, where he scored 16 Championship goals and 20 across all competitions.

But, of his five seasons at Deepdale, only two have yielded double digits for league goals.

If Coventry were to sell Simms for what could still be a relatively handsome fee - though an undoubted loss on the reported sum they shelled out to Everton, one would imagine - and acquire Riis on a free, that would be really shrewd business.

However, putting all their eggs in one basket and holding out hope for the 26-year-old to the talismanic figure behind a successful promotion bid next time around may not quite be the way to go.