Opinion: Why Coventry City should be looking to pursue deal for 30-year-old following Reading and Luton trial periods | OneFootball

Coventry City could potentially make a move for Manchester City centre-back Finley Burns during the January transfer window, according to Tuesday’s report from Coventry Live.

The same outlet, however, has also reported that manager Mark Robins would prefer to bring someone in with more Championship experience with Burns only having three second-tier appearances to his name.

These appearances came at Swansea City during the second half of last season, with the 19-year-old unable to make that much of an impact under Russell Martin, something that should perhaps come as no surprise considering he’s still young.

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He may have already made his competitive debut for Man City – but that came in the EFL Cup and he’s still very inexperienced at a senior level – a potential drawback of securing this potential move from the Sky Blues’ point of view.

You also have to consider the existing options they have – because Callum Doyle is only 19 at this point and Jonathan Panzo doesn’t have a huge amount of experience under his belt in English football.

Although all three could play together, Coventry ideally need a more experienced player to start in central defence with two of the three youngsters lining up alongside him.

However, they also need to address their attacking midfield area with Callum O’Hare out of action and with Viktor Gyokeres looking likely to remain at the CBS Arena at this point, they can’t afford to spend too much on a centre-back.

This is why they should be looking at the loan and free-agent markets, though they should probably avoid the former considering they already have four loanees at their disposal, with a maximum of five allowed in a matchday squad.

That final loan spot should probably be used on an attacking midfielder considering O’Hare is likely to be back as a key player for the Sky Blues next season, with only a short-term replacement for the ex-Aston Villa man needed.

Brooke Norton-Cuffy can play higher up – but it remains to be seen whether he will stay in an attacking midfield role or move to right wing-back.

Looking to the free-agent market, Michael Hector probably stands out as the best centre-back option at the moment considering the experience he has in the top two tiers of English football.

He may not have been signed by Reading and Luton Town earlier this season – but you probably would have backed the former to recruit him if it wasn’t for their transfer restrictions.

If he can get himself up to speed quickly, he could be a real asset for Coventry as a team and for individual players too, with the Jamaican’s experience likely to help the likes of Doyle and Panzo.

The Sky Blues can then use this to show City, Forest and other Premier League clubs that they can be trusted with their young players, something that could pay dividends for the second-tier side when they look to secure future loan deals.

At 30, Hector won’t just benefit individuals but also the team and Robins as a decent medium-term signing in the Midlands, something that may be important if Kyle McFadzean decides to call it a day at the end of the season.

The ex-Reading player may have spent much of his career in and around London – but he could potentially be willing to accept a reasonably modest wage in a new location considering he hasn’t managed to win a contract yet.