The Coventry City owner, Doug King, is preparing to back Frank Lampard with a significant transfer budget next month as the club chase a return to the Premier League after 25 years and is also ready to open talks over a new contract for the manager.
Lampard’s side suffered their first home defeat since April to third-placed Ipswich on Monday night but retain an eight-point lead over Middlesbrough at the top of the Championship having lost only three league games this season.
Coventry also have a 10-point advantage over Ipswich despite having lost twice to Kieran McKenna’s side this month, but King does not want to take any chances and is willing to invest in strengthening the squad. The club only spent a total of £8m on Kaine Kesler-Hayden and Luke Woolfenden last summer, with most of their signings coming on loan or free transfers, and have sufficient headroom under profit and sustainability regulations to be active in the market next month.
Lampard is understood to be eager to strengthen his squad in wide areas in particular, with Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Ephron Mason-Clark the only genuine wingers at the club. The fitness of key midfield player Jack Rudoni is also a cause for some concern, as the 24-year-old missed two months with a calf strain earlier in the season, and Lampard may seek additional cover.
Coventry are also keen to tie Lampard down to a longer-term deal, and may begin discussions next month if both parties agree that such negotiations would not destabilise the team. The former Chelsea and England midfield player will have just 12 months left on his contract at the end of the season and the club want him to extend.
Lampard’s achievements at Coventry have understandably attracted attention elsewhere but he is happy at the club and grateful to King for giving him the opportunity to revive his managerial career. The 47-year-old had been out of work for 18 months upon his appointment in November 2024 since a disastrous spell as caretaker manager at Chelsea which brought just one win in 11 games, having been sacked from his previous permanent posts at Everton and Chelsea.
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