Fabio Tavares out: The 2 Coventry City players surely eyeing an early January exit | OneFootball

We took a look at the Coventry City players who will be looking to leave the CBS Arena in January

Frank Lampard will see the opening of the transfer window as the perfect chance to put his own stamp on the Coventry City squad and while he'll be eyeing a number of signings, players could also depart the club this month.

Lampard would have identified areas of the squad that need to be strengthened in January during his first couple of weeks in charge as well as which players need to leave, whether that be on a permanent basis or on loan.

It's been a difficult season so far for the Sky Blues, and it looks like they're set for a mid-table finish so the second half of the campaign should provide Lampard with the perfect chance to lay the foundations ready for next season.

There'll no doubt be a number of fringe Coventry players who are eyeing a January exit and with that in mind, we've taken a look at two players who could depart the CBS Arena.

Fabio Tavares

This month marks four years since Coventry City signed Fabio Tavares from Rochdale but the 23-year-old has endured a tough campaign at the CBS Arena and has really struggled for playing time.

Tavares has never been a regular starter for the Sky Blues, with 11 games during the 2022/23 campaign the most he's managed in one season, but this season has proved even more difficult for the Portuguese forward.

Tavares turns 24 this month, meaning he's no longer a youngster, and he needs to be playing regularly somewhere to take his career to the next step, as he runs the risk of stunting his development if he remains at the CBS Arena with minimal playing time.

The former Rochdale man is out of contract at the end of the current campaign anyway, so a move away from Coventry could make sense for all parties, and it gives them the chance to sell him for a fee, however nominal that may be, instead of losing him for free in the summer.

The 23-year-old was signed in January 2021 as one for the future, and while there have been glimpses of talent with a couple of goals last season, it feels like his time at the club is coming to an end and that a January exit would make sense.

Raphael Borges Rodrigues

It's been a difficult start to life at the CBS Arena for Raphael Borges Rodrigues following his summer move to Coventry City from Macarthur FC in Australia.

The 21-year-old penned a four-year deal with the Sky Blues, but an injury in pre-season meant he missed the opening weeks of the campaign, putting him out of contention, and he's struggled to recover from that.

Rodrigues is now fit again and has been on the bench for a couple of recent Championship games, but perhaps a loan move in January to a League One club would work for all parties.

It would help get him up to speed with English football, and he'd experience the challenge of playing EFL football with fixtures coming thick and fast, and it would help to get him some much-needed playing time after a tough couple of months.

Rodrigues is clearly a talented player as seen by his performances in Australia, so a short-term loan move could be ideal before coming back into the fold at Coventry next season for pre-season.

English football is very different to Australian football, and some EFL experience could be invaluable for the youngster.