Coventry City set to win transfer race for 6-goal winger | OneFootball

According to FTBL in Australia, the Sky Blues have reached terms with A-League outfit Macarthur FC for the signing of Raphael Borges Rodrigues.

The 20-year-old has played a key role for the Australian outfit this season, featuring in 25 of their 27 league games, including 21 starts (all stats from Fbref).

The winger has contributed four goals and two assists in the A-League, as well as a further two goals in the AFC Cup in 2023-24, with Macarthur FC finishing fifth place in their league table.

Rodrigues has been a standout figure for Macarthur since joining from Melbourne City 12 months ago, going from strength to strength under manager Mile Sterjovski, who played English football himself with Derby County.

Coventry City agree Raphael Borges Rodrigues transfer

It has been reported that Rodrigues is set to sign for Coventry, with the Championship side making an early start to the upcoming summer window.

Mark Robins will be keen to improve his first-team squad options as he looks to guide the Sky Blues to another promotion challenge.

Coventry have fended off interest from a number of clubs from English and Scottish football to win the race to the player’s signature.

An undisclosed fee has been agreed with Macarthur FC, with the Australia underage international set to travel to England to finalise the transfer immediately.

Robins will be hoping that Raphael can make an immediate impact in the first-team squad following a pre-season with the club.

Coventry are making an early start to their summer plans as they look to build a side capable of fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

Rodrigues' arrival is a signal of intent from the Championship outfit, as he could be the first of many signings in this transfer window.

However, it remains unclear just how big the fee agreed between the two clubs is, or if personal terms have already been negotiated with the player.

Coventry’s promotion disappointment

Coventry narrowly missed out on a play-off place in the Championship table last season, coming ninth in the table.

The gap to Norwich City in sixth was nine points, with a run of poor form at the end of the campaign ending their hopes of another top six finish.

Robins’ side failed to win any of their last six league games, and also suffered disappointment in their FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester United.

A penalty shootout loss to the Premier League side ended their hopes of a second FA Cup final appearance in club history.

Raphael Borges Rodrigues deal is a strong start to Coventry's transfer business

This is a positive step for Coventry, even if it’s unknown whether Rodrigues is ready for life in the Championship.

The club is being proactive in the transfer market and is already looking to finalise their first signing of the window.

If this is a sign of things to come, then the club could be preparing offers for other potential arrivals already, which is an exciting prospect for supporters.

That they are also searching so far and wide for talent is also quite promising, as it means no stone is being left unturned in a bid to improve the squad.