PINNOCK HAS BUZZ FOR CITY

EX-BEES STALWART ETHAN IS TENTH SIGNING OF THE SUMMER

Ethan Pinnock has joined Coventry City in a three-year deal worth up to £6m after spending seven years at Brentford

Pinnock looking forward to new chapter in career

27 Aug 2026 - Coventry Telegraph

ETHAN Pinnock insisted he can’t wait to be part of Premier League new boys Coventry City’s great adventure after signing for Frank Lampard’s men.

Ethan Pinnock has become Coventry City’s 

tenth signing of the summer

The Sky Blues announced the signing of the Brentford man for £5m – plus £1m in add-ons – yesterday.

The 33-year-old Jamaican international has signed a threeyear contract with an option of a further 12 months and is set to be part of Lampard’s squad for Saturday’s Premier League home game against Hull City.

Pinnock told the club website: “I’m really excited to join Coventry City and continue my footballing journey with this great club.

“After 25 years, the club are back in the Premier League and I know how much it must mean to everyone involved with the club and the supporters. I can’t wait to be part of it.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to work and I can’t wait to meet everyone and represent this football club, especially at the Coventry Building Society Arena.”

Pinnock is Coventry’s 10th signing of the summer and takes the club’s spending to £127.5m.

Caleb Yirenkyi, Carl Rushworth, Sidiki Cherif, Loum Tchaouna, Aurele Amenda, Taiwo Awoniyi, Gustavo Hamer, Frank Onyeka and Daniel Bentley are the others to have joined the Sky Blues in the transfer window.

Born in Lambeth, London, Pinnock has amassed more than 500 career appearances and is poised to bring some muchneeded Premier League experience to Lampard’s defence.

He had spent the previous seven years at Brentford, with five of those in the top flight. In that time, he has featured 216 times, scoring 12 goals, and has helped cement the Bees as an established Premier League outfit.

But last season, Pinnock’s game time was reduced with the ex-barnsley centre-back making just eight top-flight appearances with Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg and Kristoffer Ajer among those above him.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews was full of praise for Pinnock after his move to Coventry was announced. He said: “Ethan is someone I always admired from afar because of the journey he went on to become a Premier League footballer.

“He has been one of the modern-day greats of the club and I have always appreciated him for the qualities he has as a player and a man. We will miss him, but I sincerely wish him well in his next chapter.”

Brentford director of football Phil Giles added: “Ethan is a Brentford legend. He was part of a fantastic group of players we signed in the summer of 2019 who elevated us from a mid-table Championship team to a side that could genuinely challenge for promotion.

“Without Ethan, there would be no guarantee we’d be where we are now, so for that reason he’ll always be welcome back at Brentford at any time.

“He now has the chance of a good contract at Coventry, who we have a lot of time and respect for after their recent promotion, so we wish Ethan and his new club well for this season and beyond.”

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LAMPS: ‘WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO’

SKY BLUES BOSS SAYS THERE ARE STILL TRANSFER DEALS TO BE DONE

I know there are lots of rumours everywhere and that, but we’ll see and it’s much easier to answer after the window is shut Frank Lampard

27 Aug 2026 - Coventry Telegraph

By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

FRANK Lampard admits there’s still business to be done both ways for Coventry City in the final week of the summer transfer window.

The Sky Blues signed experienced defender Ethan Pinnock yesterday, the 33-year-old joining Aurele Amenda, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching, Joel Latibeaudiere and Luke Woolfenden in the centre back ranks.

The likelihood, therefore, is that at least one will be moved on before next Tuesday’s 11pm transfer deadline. Woolfenden is the most obvious candidate, but Lampard revealed after Tuesday night’s 4-2 Carabao Cup victory at Plymouth that the 27-year-old remains injured with a knee issue that has prevented him playing all pre-season and is still set to be out for “weeks”.

The one other position that stands out in terms of requiring strengthening is left-back.

Asked if he’s hoping to add more signings before the window shuts, Lampard said: “We’ll see. You know it’s hard to say until things are done. I know there are lots of rumours everywhere and that, but we’ll see and it’s much easier to answer after the window is shut on that one.”

As for players leaving and whether he expects some players to go, he confirmed: “Yeah, for some players I think it’s as a squad takes shape some situations mean it’s better for the player and maybe for us that the players move on. So again, those things will happen and it’s always better to speak about them after they’ve actually happened.”

Left-back Miguel Brau appears to be one of the players heading out, having been reported to be joining Portuguese top-flight side Academico on a season-long loan.

Asked about injured pair Kaine Kesler-hayden and Woolfenden, meanwhile, the head coach revealed: “Yeah, they’re closer.

“I haven’t got a specific date for you, to be honest. I’ve been focused on different things, but it’ll be some weeks still, for them both.

“It’s a hamstring with Kaine and a small issue with Woolfy’s knee that’s been bothering him through pre-season so, yeah, that’ll be weeks.”

The City boss was frustrated by the way his side failed to put League One Plymouth to the sword after racing into a two-goal lead in the opening four minutes of the Carabao Cup. Lampard was also unhappy with the manner in which his side conceded from clear defensive errors to allow Argyle back into the second round tie as the home side pulled level before late goals restored City’s two-goal advantage in an entertaining 4-2 victory.

“Yeah, I expected it to be difficult because it’s not an easy place to come,” said the City boss, who made nine changes from the team he started at Arsenal.

“We made a lot of changes and so, for me, it’s good to have a look at players that we didn’t start at the weekend and who are pushing for places and those things.

“It was a great start to the game, two really good goals of high quality and exactly what we want running through back lines and challenges, showing good combination stuff as well. But, yeah, maybe we relaxed or something but we didn’t put our foot down because when you get teams in that situation you should go and put your foot properly down.

“And we didn’t and maybe an early round in a cup that can happen. We made big mistakes for the goals from us, to be honest about that. And then a good reaction to win the game pretty well.”

Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring in the third minute when he was

played in by a sublime flick from Caleb Yirenkyi before Jack Rudoni doubled the lead in the fifth minute as the new signing turned provider.

Oliver Irow then cut inside Joel Latibeaudiere and beat goalkeeper Dan Bentley a bit too easily as the Pilgrims pulled one back in the 21st minute and then the home side were on level terms early in the second half when substitute Xavier Ameachi dispossessed Liam Kitching.

Ephron Mason-clark added a fresh threat when he went on at the hour and restored City’s lead with a well-worked tap-in with the help of Victor Torp – the latter of whom completed the victory with a superb penalty finish into the top corner after Brandon Thomasasante was fouled in the box.

Asked about the eye-catching Awoniyi on his first start for the club and whether the striker is still working on his match fitness and sharpness, Lampard said: “I think so.

“He played some good pre-season minutes at Forest, although probably not so much in his last 10 days before coming to us.

“So it was good to get him on the pitch at the Emirates and then he starts the game tonight and he gets his goal and an assist and, yeah, he’ll be getting fit at this point, but I thought we saw the qualities that we brought him here for.”