New contract would be better than any January signing for Coventry City
|Almost other Football League clubs are preoccupied with transfers at this time of year, but Mark Robins’ team would be better served by signing offensive midfield star Callum O’Hare to a long-term deal during the winter transfer window.
The 25-year-old’s contract with the CBS Arena expires at the end of the current campaign, so after it is done, he can walk away as a free agent. With the transfer window open, he could even sign a pre-contract with a foreign team.
The Sky Blues were not in play-off contention prior to O’Hare’s long-awaited return from an ACL injury sustained on Boxing Day 2022. The former Aston Villa player missed the second part of the previous season and was not ready to play again until October 2023.
On December 8, 2023, the offensive midfielder earned his first start of the season and was instrumental in a 2-0 victory over Midlands rival Birmingham City, scoring a brace.
The Sky Blues’ season has taken a turn for the better since O’Hare returned, and his return has already outperformed any potential addition to the Robins roster.
New O’Hare contract vital
Callum O’Hare 2023/24 Championship stats | (All stats as per FotMob) |
---|---|
Appearances | 13 (6 starts) |
Goals | 3 |
Expected Goals | 1.72 |
Assists | 1 |
Expected Assists | 0.94 |
Prior to O’Hare’s return to the Sky Blues starting lineup, Robins’ side were inconsistent at best, while an uninspiring mid-table finish seemed more likely than another play-off push.
O’Hare’s form, though, has helped them turn things around and revived hopes of finishing in the top six.
After defeating Blues 2-0 as previously indicated, Robins’ team had a difficult stretch of games against Leeds United, Sunderland, and Southampton, three teams vying for promotion.
But because O’Hare was there, the Sky Blues emerged from these tough matches unharmed, drawing 1-1 with the Whites and the Saints before winning emphatically 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.
O’Hare played a crucial role in these successful outcomes, helping Haji Wright in the draw against the Saints and adding a goal in the thrilling win over the Black Cats.
After his return to the starting lineup in the win over Blues, Robins’ side went on to produce an unbeaten run of seven games in the Championship, before an emphatic 6-2 win over League One Oxford United in the FA Cup third round.
Before the former Villa player became fit again, the Sky Blues had not won more than five straight games in the second division this season.
The Sky Blues need to hold onto O’Hare because he has shown that he is still one of the best players in the Championship despite his ACL injury.
Retaining O’Hare is the best thing the Sky Blues can do during this transfer window because it is quite unlikely that any new player would join the team and replace the 25-year-old as the team’s symbol.