Championship Club Set £200m Price Tag For Star Player Ahead of January Window
Championship table-toppers Coventry City have placed a £200 million price tag on one of their key players ahead of the January transfer window.
English football's second tier has been as action-packed as ever this season, with only 10 points separating third-placed Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic in 17th.
Middlesbrough have begun to break away from the chasing pack after four wins in their last five matches, and sit five points ahead of Ipswich in second.
Coventry, meanwhile, are a further six points clear after an incredible first half of the season under manager Frank Lampard.
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The Sky Blues have smashed in 53 goals - 15 more than any other side - have a goal difference of 30 and have won 14 of their 22 matches thus far.
They also sit top of the home and away form table, having scored more goals away from home - 27 compared to 26 - than at the CBS Arena.
Their midfield trio of Jack Rudoni, Matt Grimes and Victor Torp is already Premier League quality, while centre-back Bobby Thomas is an effective presence at both ends of the pitch.
In forward areas, Brandon Thomas-Asante has 10 league goals but has missed the last five matches with a hamstring injury.
Haji Wright and Ellis Simms have 15 goals between them, with United States international striker Wright netting seven.
According to The Telegraph, Premier League strugglers West Ham have enquired about signing Wright in January, but Coventry informed the Hammers that the 27-year-old is not for sale by quoting a price of £200 million.
West Ham, whose striking options consist of 33-year-old Callum Wilson and the want-away Niclas Fullkrug, are desperate for reinforcements in their bid to avoid relegation from the top flight.
Coventry are on course to replace them in the Premier League next season, in what would be their first appearance in the top division since the 2000/01 campaign.
Lampard has made clear that he does not want to sell any of his key players - as well as potentially adding more to his squad - as the Sky Blues look to achieve that aim.
"I'm very keen to keep hold of them [Wright and Simms] because they're two very, very big players for us, amongst others," he told The Coventry Telegraph earlier in December.
"And if we want to do what we want to do this season, we have to keep our best players and look at how can we add to make the squad even more competitive and even stronger."
Topics: EFL Championship, Premier League, Football, Transfers
Ryan Smart