Coventry City: Yasin Ayari faces unclear future amid Brighton talks

During Roberto De Zerbi’s tenure at the Amex Stadium, Brighton & Hove Albion has a well-documented philosophy of uncovering gems from all corners of the globe. As a result, some players with high ceilings have been disseminated into the EFL.

One such player was Yasin Ayari, a promising Swedish prospect who was loaned to Mark Robins’ Coventry team.

This occurred during a summer in which the Sky Blues experienced a metamorphosis subsequent to their failure in the Championship play-off final and their large fees for Ayari’s countryman Viktor Gyokeres and midfielder Gustavo Hamer.

Yasin Ayari’s loan spell at Coventry City

Similar to Coventry’s performance earlier in the season, Ayari’s time in the West Midlands hasn’t exactly gone as expected, though the 20-year-old has shown flashes of promise during his patchy stints in the starting lineup.

The midfielder participated in the next ten Championship games after his loan move from the south coast was completed on August 21st. His only goal in Sky Blue came during a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town on September 25th, right in front of the Sky cameras.

In total, the two-time Swedish international has been named in Robins’ matchday squad for 20 of City’s 23 league games this season, but the ultimate frustration will be that he’s only started on six occasions, with the remaining seven appearances to his name coming as a substitute.

Ayari hasn’t appeared off the bench in any of Coventry’s previous four games since Callum O’Hare’s long-awaited return to the starting lineup. This pattern persisted in the team’s 3-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday.

Brighton weighing up options for young prospects

Given Ayari’s patchy performance in the starting lineup since late October, it makes sense that Brighton has been keeping a close check on his progress with the Sky Blues. As the January transfer window approaches, Roberto De Zerbi and the Seagulls management are starting to consider their alternatives.

Although Ayari’s future at the CBS Arena is still up for discussion, Darren Witcoop of the Sunday Mirror notes that he is not the only Albion prospect whose immediate future is uncertain.

“Marc Leonard, a Brighton midfielder, is still drawing attention while on loan at Northampton, with many Championship teams keeping an eye on him. Short-term plans for Yasin Ayari at Coventry are also being discussed at the Amex.” Witcoop asserted.

Leonard has definitely had a more progressive and consistent loan spell at Sixfields, albeit a division below. The 22-year-old has been a midfield lynchpin in Jon Brady’s Cobblers side, who have enjoyed a strong start to life back in League One after promotion, sitting in tenth place after 22 games.

The Scot was targeted by Championship suitors in the summer in the form of QPR, and given his form for Northampton, it’s unsurprising that the South Wales duo of Cardiff and Swansea also face European competition for the midfielder who has received seven Man of the Match awards so far this campaign.

Yasin Ayari may benefit from leaving Coventry City

Despite Gustavo Hamer’s departure, Ayari isn’t starting frequently and needs as much playing time as possible.

Brighton might find it advantageous to call him back in light of this.

The Seagulls will be eager to monitor the development of their young players since their success will provide them with opportunities for sustained success.

Even at this early point in his career, Ayari needs to be playing frequently.

In order to determine whether Coventry has any chance of being among the first names on the teamsheet in the second half of the campaign, discussions with him are now required.

Currently, given his recent absence from appearances, that doesn’t seem likely.