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SKY BLUES REIGNITE TALKS WITH MAN CITY OVER DEFENDER MFUNI

COVENTRY City are closing in on signing Manchester City defender Stephen Mfuni on loan.

«He’s humble, prepared to learn and grow and 

he’ll fit perfectly into the strong family club 

ethos Sky Blues have always had»

   - Jim Levack

28 Aug 2026 - Coventry Telegraph

By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

According to Sky Sports News, the Sky Blues have renewed their interest in the highly-rated defender who can play at centre-half and left-back, with the two clubs said to be “working towards” a season-long loan move.

Initial reports suggested Coventry and Man City had agreed a deal for the teenager but then the signing of Brentford centreback Ethan Pinnock suggested it was off.

The Coventry Telegraph can confirm Coventry’s renewed interest in the defender with Frank Lampard understood to be keen on strengthening the left-back position where Jay Dasilva is currently first choice with Jake Bidwell as understudy.

Mfuni held talks with both Sheffield United and Swansea City after Coventry dropped their interest in the 18-year-old who impressed while on loan at Watford last season.

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Lamps’ new signing Ethan Pinnock 

is well-regarded on and off the pitch

‘Immaculate’ Ethan will fit into Sky Blues like a dream

28 Aug 2026 - Coventry Telegraph

By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

COVENTRY City’s latest summer signing Ethan Pinnock arrives at the club with glowing endorsements everywhere you look – a consummate professional who will make significant contributions both on and off the pitch.

One of the UK’S leading sport psychologists, Michael Caulfield MSC, who regularly works with Brentford FC’S players, said of the 33-year-old centre-half following his departure to join the Sky Blues: “Well, the coolest, calmest, most reliable person you could ever wish to meet. The Rock of Brentford and he battled all the way from non-league to the Premier League and you’d want him in your corner every time. Standing ovation on return guaranteed. What a wonderful man.”

Pinnock arrives as City’s tenth permanent transfer of the window and brings an end to Frank Lampard’s search for proven experience at the heart of his defence, having been in pursuit of the much-soughtafter Fikayo Tomori for months.

Joining for a reported fee of £5m, including a further £1m in add-ons, the Jamaica international has signed a three-year contract at the CBS Arena where he’s expected to be included in the squad to face Hull City this weekend.

So what are we getting with the man who started out from humble beginnings, breaking through with non-league Dulwich Hamlet as a winger and left-back after his release from Millwall’s academy? Establishing himself as captain over a six-year stay, the 6ft 4in tall player earned a move to Forest Green before jumping into the football league with then Championship Barnsley in 2017.

A £3m move to the Bees followed in 2019, after which he helped the club gain promotion in 2020/21 when he was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Season. He was voted Player of the Season in 2023/24 by Brentford fans who continue to hold him in extremely high esteem. Here, former Brentford PA reporter and lifelong Bees fan Jim Levack looks at every aspect of his game and the character of a player whom he describes as going about his job with “maximum efficiency” with an “immaculate” character and reading of the game. “Ethan Pinnock will bring a calm assurance to Coventry’s defence either on the left of two centre backs or a three,” says Levack, speaking to the Coventry Telegraph.

“His exit has been unanimously greeted with sadness and a realisation that he fully deserves a final payday and, maybe more importantly, increased game time.

“He’s a player who has never once let the Bees down in more than 200 appearances and won cult status for going about his job quietly but with maximum efficiency.

“At 6ft 4in, his greatest strength is in the aerial duels at both ends of the pitch, but it’s defensively where most of the plaudits have come for his immaculate reading of the game.

“He’s quick enough, but at 33 he’s slowing down and realistically will be more the experienced brains of the Sky Blues defence – vital when you’re 2-1 up away and hanging on at Sunderland.

“His haul of just 12 goals in seven years in west London maybe underlines his dedication to the craft of clean sheets, but he’s no stranger to turning defence into attack with a clean, crisp ball out from the back.

“He’s missed out on minutes as Brentford have evolved and brought in younger, arguably better centre backs with potential yet to be achieved – the Brentford model – but he’s always been a model professional ready to play his part in the squad. A vital character trait in this relentless league.”

Coventry have prided themselves on recruiting good characters in recent years – something Lampard has been keen to continue since picking up from Mark Robins.

“Character-wise he’s immaculate,” insists Levack. “A late starter who made the leap from Isthmian League to the Premier League, he’s humble, prepared to learn and grow and he’ll fit perfectly into the strong family club ethos Sky Blues have always had.

“He’s just the type of experienced head Coventry need and I can see him contributing both on and off the field for the length of his contract – which is why Lampard rates him so highly.

“Ethan Pinnock will always be a hero to Brentford fans for his part in the play off final-winning side that took the Bees to the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Swansea in 2021.

“The fact that it was his birthday – he celebrated that milestone two days later – suggests karma will always be on the side of this calm, unflappable and always humble player who has quietly done so much for the community behind the scenes too. A good human being.” 

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Sweden international Oliver Dovin is rated highly at the Sky Blues, 

but injury forced him out for 17 months

Lamps looks for loan deal for keeper Dovin

He’s a very talented goalkeeper... he’s absolutely ready and has been playing minutes for us in pre-season games Frank Lampard

28 Aug 2026 Coventry Telegraph

By ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

COVENTRY City are working on a loan move for goalkeeper Oliver Dovin to enable the highly-rated goalkeeper to further his development with regular first team football.

The arrival of Dan Bentley from Wolves on a free transfer last week means the Sky Blues now have four senior keepers on their books, with the experienced stopper expected to compete with Ben Wilson to be understudy to first choice Carl Rushworth.

Dovin has not played for 17 months due to a cruciate knee ligament injury cutting him off just as he was beginning to establish himself in the Championship with the Sky Blues.

Still only 24, the Sweden international is seen as an asset for the club and therefore worth keeping.

Asked if, therefore, the arrival of Bentley presents an opportunity for Dovin to go out on loan to get first team football, head coach Frank Lampard told the Telegraph: “It’s possible, yeah. “He’s a very talented goalkeeper.

“I had a run of games with him where he got into the team with me and he helped out our uplift in performance and performed really well and then obviously had that really difficult injury at Sheffield United and it’s been a long recovery with a few little complications within it.

“But now he is good and he is fine, but he hasn’t played so many minutes so that’s why we’re analysing it over the next few days to see if there’s a good option for him to play regularly.

“But he’s absolutely ready and has been playing minutes for us in preseason games.

“He played in the 21s on Tuesday night, so he’s ready in that sense, but obviously from the period of time out it’s something that we’re looking at.”