Coventry City are interested in signing Kaine Kesler-Hayden, who has spent this season on loan at Preston North End from Aston Villa, for a fee of around £5 million, as per Alan Nixon.
Who Is Kaine Kesler-Hayden?
The 22-year-old is a product of the Aston Villa youth academy. Last season, he made four brief appearances for the Villans, adding to his sole previous appearance in the club’s famous FA Cup tie against Liverpool in the 2020/21 season when the first team was stricken with Covid-19.
The versatile defender, who can play on the right or left of a defence as both a full-back and a wing-back, has left the Midlands giants on loan numerous times.
His first loan spell was at Swindon Town in the first half of the 2021/22 season. After excelling for the Robins, he was recalled by Villa in January and sent to MK Dons in League One, where he also performed admirably.
The former England youth international started the following season in the Championship with Huddersfield Town. But, he struggled to nail down a place in the Terriers’ starting eleven and he was recalled in January.
Plymouth Argyle signed Kesler-Hayden on loan at the start of last season. The defender impressed in a struggling Argyle team which led to Villa recalling him in January and using him in the first team, albeit fleetingly.
This season has been the most settled campaign of the 22-year-old’s career and his performances have reflected this. He made 51 appearances in all competitions for Preston and he was incredibly successful at the club’s end-of-season awards, winning both fans’ and players’ Player of the Year as well as Young Player of the Year.
Why Are Coventry City Interested?
Frank Lampard’s men had another solid year as they earned a place in the playoffs after a tough start to the season.
Unfortunately, the Sky Blues were unable to best Sunderland AFC over two legs, meaning they are stuck in the second tier for another campaign.
This may lead to the likes of Milan Van Ewijk, who was reportedly the subject of interest from Premier League Fulham in January, looking to leave the club in the summer.
The Dutchman has been one of the outstanding right-backs in the Championship since moving to the Coventry Building Society Arena, making 100 appearances for the Sky Blues over the last two seasons.
This season, the 24-year-old created more chances, won more tackles and made more recoveries than 97.1% of Championship defenders, showing his immense offensive and defensive ability, something which Lampard will need to replace if he wants to guide his side to automatic promotion next season.
Writer’s View
Kesler-Hayden would be an excellent replacement for Van Ewijk should the Dutchman depart.
He has consistently excelled when out on loan and giving him a more settled home may allow the 22-year-old to take his game to the next level. The defender has largely played in Championship teams who have struggled at the lower end of the table, but moving to Coventry will give him an opportunity to show off his ball-playing ability.
If Nixon’s rumoured fee of around £5 million is correct, that would represent good value for money and may lead to a net profit for Coventry depending on how much they are able to sell Van Ewijk for.
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