"Could be an inspired move" - Coventry City eyeing player upgrade as Nottingham Forest transfer link emerges | OneFootball

FLW writers have given their verdict on Coventry City joining Sheffield United in the race to sign Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall.

Highlights

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Coventry City have joined Sheffield United in the race to sign Nottingham Forest defender Joe Worrall, as reported by Alan Nixon via Patreon.

The Sky Blues will be looking to have a strong summer of activity as they try to bridge that gap to the play-offs and, therefore, secure a place in the Premier League.

Coventry City join Sheffield United in Joe Worrall race

There is likely going to be a few comings and goings at the CBS Arena this summer, and it appears as though Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall has now emerged on the club’s radar.

Sheffield United have been heavily linked with the defender for some time now, with TEAMtalk, reporting that the Blades had opened talks with Forest over a move for Worrall.

The report added that the player himself is said to be keen on the move, but things could change given that Coventry City have now joined the race.

According to Nixon, the Sky Blues are keen to sign the central defender on loan this summer, but that type of deal may not be likely at this stage.

Worrall is under contract at the City Ground until the summer of 2026, but with him falling out of favour at the club and spending the second half of the season on loan at Besiktas, it appears as though a move could be on the cards this summer.

Joe Worrall signing would significantly improve Coventry’s defence

As this news emerges, we have asked some of the writers at Football League World for their thoughts on Coventry joining the race for Joe Worrall and if this would be a good move for the player and the club.

Here is what they said…

Brett Worthington

Joe Worrall looks very likely to leave Nottingham Forest in this transfer window, as he’s fallen out of favour at the football club.

The defender spent the second half of last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, a loan that saw Worrall play, but it may not have been considered a perfect loan.

He now returns to the City Ground with his future up in the air, and it appears as though he is one of the players Forest are looking to move on in this transfer window.

Worrall isn’t short of options, as both Sheffield United and now Coventry City are keen on signing the defender, but it appears as though the deals are not going to be easy.

The Blades are still waiting for their takeover to go through, while the Sky Blues are looking to sign Worrall on a loan deal instead of a permanent switch.

Coventry represents a good opportunity for the player, but between the two clubs, you would have to say that Worrall will still likely favour a move to Bramall Lane over the CBS Arena.

This is because he would join a team that is expected to be at the top end of the Championship, competing for promotion. Furthermore, Coventry are looking at a loan deal, which is something that the player may not want, as he may be wanting to sort out his future for the long term and not just join another team on loan.

But for the Sky Blues, he would be a very impressive signing if they did manage to get a deal over the line.

Mark Robins made some key signings in the centre of defence last summer, with players such as Liam Kitching, Joel Latibeaudiere, and Bobby Thomas arriving.

These were all impressive for the Sky Blues last season, and while they will continue to be key for Coventry, adding Worrall to those options would be a significant upgrade, but it just seems unlikely at this stage of the transfer window.

Alfie Burns

A signing like Joe Worrall would be a statement of intent from Coventry City this summer, particularly if they land his signature ahead of a recently-relegated side like Sheffield United.

Worrall has a wealth of Championship experience (as the table above shows) and he was key to Forest ending their 20-year+ stay in the EFL under Steve Cooper in 2022. It hasn't worked out for him really in the Premier League, but stepping back a level would be good for the centre-back's career.

In terms of Coventry convicting Worrall of their project, that's probably the biggest hurdle to overcome here.

Worrall will, rightly, want a side challenging the top-two in the Championship next season if he is to step back and, at the moment, you'd have Coventry as an outside bet for that rather than a favourite.

However, in Mark Robins, they have one of the most respected coaches in the EFL and in the last two years there have been flashes of Coventry doing something special in the Championship. You'd imagine that they can sell themselves to Worrall.