£3k-a-week Coventry City star surely set for exit as Aston Villa deal is struck | OneFootball

Coventry City's £3.5m deal to buy Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Aston Villa suggests Milan van Ewijk will be on the move this summer.

Coventry City are making another move in the transfer market, with Kaine Kesler-Hayden set to join from Aston Villa.

After agreeing a deal for Miguel Angel Brau to sign on a free transfer, the Sky Blues are set to fork out over £3.5m for Kesler-Hayden, who starred on loan at Preston from Villa in the previous campaign.

In many ways, this should be a transfer that excites all connected to Coventry, as they have secured a talented, young player who has already proven himself in the Championship.

Plus, the fee is a relatively modest one when you consider Kesler-Hayden’s potential, so it could turn out to be a bargain.

Milan van Ewijk seems set for Coventry City exit after Kaine Kesler-Hayden’s arrival

Yet, the one tinge of disappointment for Sky Blues supporters is that it’s hard not to feel Kesler-Hayden’s arrival spells the end of Milan van Ewijk’s time at the club.

The Dutchman joined from Heerenveen in 2023, and he has established himself as a top Championship player over the past two years. As well as his sound defensive displays, van Ewijk was relentless in how he got up and down the right flank, and he offered real quality on the ball.

It has been claimed that Fulham are monitoring the 24-year-old, and a summer exit now seems inevitable.

Of course, some fans will say that the club could have two quality right-backs, whilst Kesler-Hayden has played at left-back at times in his career, as well as further forward on occasions.

But, realistically, Coventry aren’t in a position to be spending £3.5m on a player if he isn’t going to start in his best position, and Kesler-Hayden would’ve wanted assurances over game time before he joined.

Coventry City’s player trading model is crucial to progressing further

If van Ewijk, who is estimated by Capology to be on £3k a week, has already played his last game for the club, it will be a shame, but the reality is that all clubs in the country have to be open to selling their key men, especially given the importance of PSR.

With two years left on his contract at the CBS Arena, Coventry are in a position where they can get maximum value for van Ewijk, and it’s likely to represent a fair profit on the £3.4m they paid for him.

By bringing in his replacement before the ex-Netherlands U21 international leaves, Coventry have ensured they won’t get exploited by other clubs when it comes to negotiations, like they may have if selling clubs knew van Ewijk was off.

Player trading is also going to be key to how Coventry progresses and improves as a club in the years to come.

This is nothing new for the Sky Blues, with Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres departing after the play-off final loss to Luton Town. Yet, the club still managed to refresh the squad and reach an FA Cup semi-final, and the play-offs once more in the two subsequent years.

Now, it’s about taking that next step and reaching the Premier League, and recruitment will be key to their chances.

Losing van Ewijk will be a blow, but in Kesler-Hayden, Coventry have already got an excellent replacement, and they should be in position to spend further ahead of the new season, so it could turn out to be a shrewd call.