Sorba Thomas features: 5 EFL stars who must be on Coventry City's transfer shortlist | OneFootball

Here we have looked at five EFL players who must be on Coventry City's shortlist this summer.

Coventry City will have the belief that they can be part of the play-off conversation once again in the 2023/24 season.

The Sky Blues fell short of the top six last season, as a slow start to the campaign meant they were unable to break into the top six, and therefore, they remain in the second tier.

It wasn’t without a lack of trying, but Mark Robins will be keen that his side doesn’t fall short this time around, and to do so, he may be keen to strengthen his side more.

The Sky Blues were very busy last summer, as the club went into the market to replace Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres.

Coventry may not see any big departures this time around, but they could still be active as they try and build a squad capable of promotion.

With that said, here at Football League World, we have looked at five EFL stars who must be on the transfer shortlist…

Eoin Toal

The defensive area of the team could be a position that is looked at very closely by Mark Robins this summer, as it could be said they are light with options.

Currently, the Sky Blues have Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Luis Binks, and Liam Kitching as their centre-back options.

All four are good players, but Robins may want to add a bit more experience or quality in that area of the pitch.

Bolton Wanderers’ Eoin Toal should be someone who features on the club’s transfer shortlist, and that is because, while he lacks experience in English football, he has proven to be a very good buy for the Trotters.

Toal has been playing in League One for two seasons now, and in those two years, the Northern Irishman has improved his game enormously.

The defender was at the heart of Bolton’s defence last season, and given he is only 25, Coventry should be keeping a close eye on the player, as he would be a defender who can improve them now, and he could go on to become a top player in the seasons to come.

Dion Sanderson

As well as potentially looking at someone like Eoin Toal, Coventry should also have Dion Sanderson on their shortlist this summer.

The defender has established himself as a very good Championship player, but finds himself in League One after being relegated with Birmingham City.

Sanderson joined the Blues on a permanent basis last summer, and while it was overall a terrible campaign for the club, Sanderson did well on a personal level, and you would expect he would want to continue playing in the second tier.

He should be someone the Sky Blues consider this summer, as not only does he have experience in Championship football, but his overall ability would make him a competitive option at the back for Mark Robins

At 24, he still has plenty of time ahead of him, and he could even develop into a better defender with the right players around him.

Sanderson has impressed in the Championship for a few seasons, and Coventry could take advantage of Birmingham’s situation by offering him a way out of the club.

Cameron Brannagan

Oxford United will be determined to keep hold of Cameron Brannagan this summer as they embark on their Championship campaign.

However, given how well the midfielder performed in their promotion season, it could mean more clubs are keeping an eye on the 28-year-old.

Brannagan netted 12 times and assisted nine goals as the Us secured promotion, and with Coventry possibly in the market for a new midfielder, the ex-Liverpool man could be the answer.

Whilst he has never played in the second tier before, Brannagan has proven to be more than good enough in the league below, and he will be making the step up either way.

Brannagan’s ability allows him to play in a deep role in the midfield, but he also has the ability of playing more advanced if required.

The Championship is a long, hard season, and having players like this is only beneficial, especially for a team looking to fight for a play-off spot.

The 28-year-old could be a good replacement for Callum O’Hare, who looks set to leave the club, and he would bring that scoring threat from midfield that they may have lacked last season after Hamer’s departure.

Sorba Thomas

Similar to Sanderson, Sorba Thomas is also a player who finds himself playing in League One next season.

The winger has been with the Terriers since 2021, and in that time, he has proven to be a creative force.

The Welshman has assisted 31 goals in 125 appearances for Huddersfield, and with the Yorkshire side in the third tier, he could be someone looked at by several Championship clubs this summer.

He could be a perfect addition to a team like Coventry, as Thomas is able to play on both the right and left-hand sides of the attack, which would give Robins an added option when it comes to his options in the final third.

Furthermore, with the Coventry boss also sometimes willing to play with a back three, it could mean Thomas is able to play in a wing-back role on either side, which again would add more competition to Robins’ squad and give them an extra attacking edge they necessarily don’t have now.

Max Dean

Coventry improved their forward line last summer with the additions of Ellis Simms and Haji Wright, but with Matt Godden looking set for an exit, a new striker could be on the cards.

This could be the ideal opportunity for Robins to not only bring in a new centre-forward but also bring in one that will help them now but has the potential to be even better for them in a year or two.

This is why MK Dons’ Max Dean may be someone the club has on their shortlist this summer, as the 20-year-old has just come off the back of an excellent campaign with the League Two side.

Dean joined MK Dons in January 2023, and he featured for the club on a handful of occasions in the 2022/23 season. But it was the season just finished that the forward really shone, as he scored 15 goals in 29 league games.

It was an excellent season for the young striker, as he really impressed in England’s fourth division.

Coventry may not see this as an instant improvement, but he is the type of player teams like Coventry should be keeping an eye on. He is someone who seems to have huge potential, and learning from players like Simms and Wright could be perfect for the player before he gets regular chances of his own.

It would be easy for Robins to go and replace Godden with a like-for-like replacement, but his departure gives the club a chance to add someone like Dean into their squad, who has enormous potential and could go far in the game.