'At least £20m' - Bobby Thomas claim made as Leeds United and Everton plot Coventry City raid | OneFootball

Coventry City have been told to dig their heels in when it comes to a potential Bobby Thomas sale

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Coventry City star Bobby Thomas has been linked with a move to a number of Premier League sides.

The Sky Blues have enjoyed a magnificent 2025/26 Championship campaign thus far, emerging as the division’s runaway leaders.

Despite suffering play-off semi-final heartbreak last term, Frank Lampard’s side have taken their performances up a notch to leave the rest of the second-tier in their wake.

That said, they were recently defeated 3-0 by Ipswich Town, who could prove to be one of their biggest threats in the title race. Another source of bad news for the CBS Arena outfit is the reported transfer interest in Thomas.

According to the Sun, Leeds United, Everton and Brentford are all weighing up a move for the defender in January. Thomas was supposedly the subject of an £8m bid from Sheffield United during the summer, whilst Brentford and Burnley were both also reportedly interested in his services.

Coventry City told to keep Bobby Thomas amid Premier League interest

Thomas has been one of Coventry’s most consistent performers this term, starting 18 Championship matches thus far. The 24-year-old has also contributed two goals and three assists, highlighting his usefulness at the opposite end of the pitch.

When queried on the reported interest in Thomas, Football League World’s Coventry City fan pundit, Chris Deez, believes that the Sky Blues should resist cashing in on one of their star players, unless a humongous offer comes in.

“I'm not worried about Bobby Thomas leaving,” stated Chris. “I'm not worried about him having his head turned and being unsettled.

“He was sought after in the summer; Sheffield United wanted him and it didn't affect his performances at all. He's been one of the best centre-backs in the whole league, maybe even in the whole country.

“Everton are in a relegation battle. Brentford have started the season well but there is nothing to say they won’t slip down the table. Leeds are looking almost certain to come straight back down. I don't see why he wouldn't want to be a part of that. If it were to happen, we'd have to be asking for at least £20m.

“If Hull can ask for £20m for Charlie Hughes when they've got one of the leakiest defences in the league, why can't we ask £20m for Bobby Thomas? He's more experienced, he's more established, he's a more mature player in the way that he plays.

“I think we need to resist all bids for him. I don't think it's going to affect him at all. Maybe if somebody offers us £30 million, which isn't going to happen, then I would probably take it.”

Coventry City shouldn’t consider a Bobby Thomas sale in January

Coventry City find themselves in an incredible position, where a shot at securing promotion to the Premier League seems well within their reach.

Sides that were relegated from the top-flight last term have struggled to perform at their best this season, which means that the race for the Championship title has been blown wide open.

The Sky Blues have emerged as the division’s most competitive outfit, having scored 50 goals in their opening 18 matches and look the most likely team to attain a place in the Premier League.

However, a way to put that at risk would be cashing in on their star players. If Lampard is forced to part ways with operators such as Thomas, it could risk a sudden dip in performance, which is the last thing Coventry need with the likes of Ipswich lurking behind them.

Although a huge transfer fee could be tempting, achieving promotion is the much greater prize and retaining the defender’s services will go a long way to ensure they remain at peak competitiveness.