Frank Lampard will love big Jack Rudoni, Coventry City transfer news involving Southampton | OneFootball

Southampton have shown an interest in signing Jack Rudoni throughout the summer

Frank Lampard will be relieved that Jack Rudoni’s future at Coventry City appears settled amid strong interest from newly-relegated Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton, who had been eager to bring the playmaker down to the south coast.

It was reported by Sky Sports earlier this week that the Coventry starlet has no interest in departing the CBS Arena despite an enquiry from the Saints, with Football League World previously exclusively revealing the Sky Blues' £15 million asking price.

Rudoni only joined the Championship club last summer from Huddersfield Town for a reported fee worth £5 million after the Terriers suffered relegation to League One, and he has cemented himself as a key part of their squad.

With Coventry aiming to fight for promotion to the Premier League this year, keeping the player could be as important as any signing made this summer.

Frank Lampard’s Jack Rudoni, Coventry City relief

Lampard will be delighted with this development involving Rudoni given how important he’s been to the side under his management.

Rudoni contributed seven goals and eight assists in the Championship following Lampard’s arrival as manager in late November last year, including scoring in the team’s play-off semi-final first leg against Sunderland.

While the Sky Blues ultimately missed out on the chance at promotion with a 3-2 aggregate loss to Régis Le Bris’ side, their rise up the table from when the 47-year-old was appointed gave a lot of encouragement for this season.

Rudoni’s performances were a strong part of why Coventry have gone into the new campaign with optimism they can fight for a place in the Premier League.

So losing him to Southampton would’ve been a massive blow, even if the club could’ve earned a significant profit on the £5 million paid to sign him only 12 months ago.

In particular, losing him to a potential promotion rival would’ve been a major setback, and could’ve put a huge dent in their hopes of a Premier League return just a couple of games into the campaign, as replacing him with so little time left in the window would not be straightforward.

Jack Rudoni is thriving under Frank Lampard at Coventry City

The playmaker had contributed two goals and four assists prior to Lampard’s arrival, but he found a new level under his idol.

That Lampard is in charge at the CBS Arena has potentially played a role in Coventry being able to hold onto such an important part of the team.

The midfielder previously revealed that, as a Chelsea fan, he grew up idolising Lampard, so the chance to work under him must be extremely motivating.

Given their similar styles of play, it’s no surprise that he is thriving under the former England international.

While there may be some reservations over Lampard’s ability to manage a team at the highest level, there is no doubt that he can help players like Rudoni improve their craft, which could be key to him becoming a Premier League calibre talent.

It’s a pairing that is working quite well at the moment, and it could be key to the club sustaining a promotion push this year.