Coventry City‘s bid to sign Aston Villa youngster Kaine Kesler-Hayden has taken a twist as a second club has entered the running.
The Sky Blues have already begun planning towards next season after their heartbreaking loss at the hands of Sunderland confirmed their place in the Championship next season. With senior youth development player Jack Burroughs out of contract, looking for a new full-back is perhaps a priority for Frank Lampard.
Saints Enter The Fray
Coventry’s interest in Kesler-Hayden has ran throughout the week, with earlier reports suggesting that they have tabled an offer in the region of £5 million plus addons to Villa. The right-back has spent last season on loan at Preston North End, where he played 51 times across three competitions.
However, a fresh report from BirminghamWorld has revealed that the relegated Southampton are now also interested in the 22-year-old. The Saints, who are still managerless heading back into the Championship, are expected to lose key players like Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer.
The necessity to sell for Villa comes from their PSR troubles, with the Villains currently expected to fall short of the maximum profit loss allowed by the end of June and so are looking to offload some players.
Writers’ View
Coventry City’s pursuit of Kaine Kesler-Hayden may hit a roadblock with Southampton’s interest now being revealed. The Villa youngster looks like the perfect replacement to Kyle Walker-Peters with his ability to play on either flank and with The Saints he will join a side that will be perennial contenders for promotion. Whilst the signs look promising for Coventry in their own right, Kesler-Hayden will face stiff, established competition in Jay Dasilva and Milan van Ewijk for a first team place as it stands. With Villa’s need to offload players, a bidding war could be expected, certainly helped by the transfer window opening for 10 days at the start of June.
