Exclusive: Coventry City, Milan van Ewijk transfer prediction issued by Don Goodman after Fulham & AS Roma interest | OneFootball

The Sky Sports pundit believes that the Dutchman could still stay at the CBS Arena next season, despite previous top flight interest

Coventry City hearts were crushed on Tuesday evening on Wearside, as a late, late Dan Ballard header sent Sunderland into the Championship play-off final at the expense of Frank Lampard's side.

The match looked like it was going to penalties, with the scoreline tied up at 2-2 on aggregate, but Ballard striking with a free header in the Sky Blues box saw Regis Le Bris and co heading to Wembley instead.

It represented more play-off pain for City after their final loss to Luton Town two years ago, and the second leg would have started a level playing field if not for a mistake from right-back Milan van Ewijk, whose short backpass was intercepted by Eliezer Mayenda, who went on to score and put the Black Cats a goal up in leg one.

Milan van Ewijk tipped for potential Coventry City stay despite transfer interest

Even though the Dutchman will be haunted by his error, he still performed admirably throughout the 2024-25 season, notching four assists over that period.

There's been plenty of interest in the ex-Heerenveen full-back too, as Premier League outfit Fulham weighed up a move for his services in January, whilst Italian giants AS Roma failed in a pursuit for him too.

Coventry will likely have to field more interest this summer, but speaking exclusively to Football League World, current Sky Sports pundit and former Football League stirker Don Goodman believes that Cov may still have a chance of keeping Van Ewijk at the CBS Arena, as he believes the Sky Blues will push for automatic promotion next season, and the Dutchman may also feel a sense of redemption coming for his first leg mistake.

"Milan van Ewijk has been brilliant since arriving at Coventry City," Goodman told FLW.

"Still only 24 years old, right up there with the best right-backs in the Championship this season - obviously the mistake that he made in the first leg against Sunderland was heartbreaking for him and heartbreaking for Coventry City, but it shouldn't define what a brilliant season he's had.

"Can they keep him? I think Coventry will be challenging at the top of the Championship next season, so if there is interest in him, then they would need to sell him that project, and it could be that he may feel he owes them.

"So, we'll wait and see, but he's certainly been absolutely brilliant for them."

Coventry City would find it very difficult to replace Milan van Ewijk's skillset this summer

Whilst Jayden Bogle was ranked as the top Championship right-back in the Team of the Season, Van Ewijk can't have been far behind, and at the age of 24 he still has some improvement left in him.

With two years left on his contract as well, Coventry will be in no rush to sell Van Ewijk this coming transfer window, and he would be so hard to replace as well.

And with a blend of solid defending, electric pace and a dangerous long throw, Van Ewijk possesses a lot of talent, and Coventry won't be able to get a like-for-like replacement, or close to one, without spending around £5 million, you'd imagine.