Football League World
·15 May 2024
Football League World
·15 May 2024
Coventry City have reportedly joined the race to sign Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron, after interest in him from Swansea City, Celtic and Rangers was exclusively revealed by Football League World.
With Callum O'Hare expected to leave when his contract expires, and Ben Sheaf catching the eye of other clubs, Mark Robins may lose a few of his best midfielders in the summer.
Journalist Alan Nixon reported, via his Patreon, that Sheaf is a target for both Ipswich Town and Luton Town this summer - he rejected a move to the latter in the previous window - and Robins has all but admitted that O'Hare will leave, after he turned down a new proposal from the club.
Coventry are going to need to try and rebuild the middle of the park if these moves end up materialising, and they have turned their attention to a Scottish player who is wanted by the two biggest clubs in his home country, and by the Swans.
Football League Worldexclusively revealed that Swansea, Celtic and Rangers were all interested in signing the 21-year-old, who is set to become a free agent in the coming weeks.
The Aberdeen midfielder is still in talks with his club over a new deal, but he is able to speak to other teams.
Swansea had a bid worth £500,000 rejected for Barron in the January transfer window, but FLW believes that they still hold an interest in the youngster.
The Daily Record have now reported that Coventry are also keen on signing Barron, as well as Italian side Bologna.
Any club who signs the Aberdeen academy graduate will need to pay a training compensation fee of over £500,000 to the Dons in order to do so, as per the Record.
With interest in Sheaf ramping up, they need to start collating options for players to replace him; Barron should be on that list.
The young Scot may not be as much of a finished article as other players on that list, but the potential is there for you to see. He likes to get on the ball and receive it off the defenders, and he can win challenges too.
Unlike the Championship campaign, the Scottish Premiership isn't over yet. Barron will have the final couple of games of Aberdeen's season to focus on before he can fully think about his future.
The midfielder made his league debut for the club back in the 2021/22 season. He started 13 league matches in that campaign. That shows real maturity, which is a brilliant quality to have for somebody who plays his position.
Now, is there any guarantee that Barron would hit the ground running for Coventry and immediately come in and replace Sheaf as if nothing was different? No. Buying any player of the Aberdeen midfielder's age comes with its risks. The Sky Blues would probably need to bring in another player in that position if this ends up being an avenue that they pursue.
But, for around half-a-million, it might be worth the punt for them, if they can stave off the other interested sides.