Coventry City should push to sign Kaisa Wagner and Michal Helik as soon as next week
Coventry City have endured somewhat of a roller coaster of a season, with popular former manager Mark Robins was sacked by the club back in November.
By the end of the same month, the Sky Blues appointed ex-Derby County, Chelsea, and Everton boss Frank Lampard, who has overseen some successful results, such as a 1-0 win at Millwall in early December and a 4-0 triumph over Plymouth Argyle on Boxing Day.
The 46-year-old’s tenure hasn’t all been smiles though, as he also took charge of a 2-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion and a more damaging 4-1 defeat at the hands of newly promoted Portsmouth.
Under Robins’ stewardship, the Sky Blues reached the Championship play-off final in 2023, and Lampard will be looking to make the most of the second half of the current second-tier campaign as he tries to steer his new club closer to the top six than the relegation zone.
But in order to do just that, the former England midfielder may need a successful January transfer window as he looks to shape his own squad at the CBS Arena.
Football League World takes a look at two players Lampard and co should push to sign by as soon as next week.
Michal Helik
Michal Helik
Unfortunately for Lampard, the Sky Blues boast a notably leaky defence, which is something the Englishman will be looking to address as soon as possible, while the perfect remedy to such problems could be Huddersfield Town man Michal Helik.
Helik has played a big part in the Terriers’ bid to make an immediate Championship return and even scored during a 1-1 draw with Burton Albion on 29th December.
But while the West Yorkshire side currently sit in League One, the centre-half is more than capable of performing well in the second tier and has bags of experience in the division in years gone by, for both his current side and his former club Barnsley.
While the Terriers could make their Championship return come the end of the season, the Sky Blues should look to hand Helik an early opportunity to ply his trade in the second tier once more in an effort to strengthen their own backline.
Kai Wagner
CBS Arena
Meanwhile, one defender the Sky Blues have already set their sights on is Philadelphia Union full-back Kai Wagner, who has spent six seasons in Major League Soccer since leaving German outfit Wurzburger Kickers back in 2019.
Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg revealed via X last month that Lampard’s side were pushing to sign the 27-year-old, but faced competition from automatic promotion contenders Burnley.
Amid fellow interest from the Clarets, the Sky Blues must act fast and make their move for Wagner’s services early on in the transfer window.
While the German has the ability to help Lampard and co shore up an unconvincing defence, perhaps it is his creative abilities that are even more eye-catching.
Kai Wagner 2024 MLS Stats
Appearances
34
Starts
32
Tackles won %
64.4
Duels won %
58.3
Aerial duels won %
53.8
Pass accuracy %
79.1
Chances created
100
Expected assists (xA)
9.32
Assists
10
Expected goals (xG)
0.73
Goals
1
Philadelphia finished the 2022 MLS season as runners-up, and Wagner was key to such a successful campaign, as he notched nine assists in 36 appearances.
Since then, his ability in the final third has further improved, as he scored three goals and produced 11 assists across all competitions during the 2023 campaign, while in 2024 he bagged one goal and 10 assists in the league.
If the Sky Blues are able to beat the Clarets to Wagner’s services, then it could be a real coup for Lampard, as he looks to make his own mark on the CBS Arena outfit.
Mark Robins & Callum O’Hare (split image)
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