"No one saw it coming" - Doug King hailed for "unbelievable" Coventry City transfer decision | OneFootball

FLW's Coventry City fan pundit has given his verdict on the club's January transfer business

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Coventry City had a relatively quiet January transfer window compared to many of their Championship rivals.

However, Frank Lampard still added one statement signing to his first team squad.

This was the new manager’s first opportunity to make changes to the side following his arrival in late 2024.

A deal was struck to bring Matt Grimes from Swansea City to the CBS Arena in a bid to bolster the club’s chances of claiming a top six finish this season.

Matt Grimes transfer verdict

When asked what particular thing the club did to earn praise in the winter window, FLW’s Coventry fan pundit Dan McDermott named the signing of Grimes.

He believes the midfielder is a fantastic addition to the team, claiming that Doug King, Lampard and the recruitment team all deserve credit for his signing.

“The signing of Matt Grimes is something I can sing a lot of praises about, to be honest,” McDermott told Football League World.

“No one saw it coming.

“If you could hand pick a midfielder from any team in the division to come into the team without losing a player, you would pick Matt Grimes.

“He’s fantastic, all-round game, his ball retention, his passing, the way he transitions the game, whether that’s with his short-passing or his long-passing.

“The way he can play the ball between the lines, play the game quickly.

“He just dictates play, dictates tempo.

“I think he’ll be a shrewd bit of business for us.

“And, to be honest, he hasn’t missed a game of football for, what, four years? Out of 303 games, he’s missed about four.

“So a lot of praise to go to Doug King, the recruitment team and Frank Lampard to get Matt Grimes in, I think he’s an unbelievable signing.”

Coventry are currently 11th in the Championship table, just three points outside the play-off places after 30 games.

Matt Grimes signing is a statement of intent

Coventry’s play-off hopes looked like they were fading, but recent results have brought them right back into contention.

The arrival of Grimes is a lift around the club, and could prove to be a big difference-maker in the play-off race.

If he can hit the ground running, then he could be a great fit for Lampard’s side, who are in excellent form at the moment anyway.