Coventry City plot move for £13m star – it may leave one Sky Blues ace confused | OneFootball

Ellis Simms will be rightly confused by suggestions that Coventry City want to sign Cincinnati striker Kevin Denkey.

Coventry City supporters are once again going through the mill this season with the Sky Blues chasing a long awaited return to the Premier League – but it's being ensured that they do so the hard way.

After a remarkable ride in recent years, including a penalty shootout loss in the 2023 Championship play-off final to Luton Town, Coventry have been generally very impressive following the appointment of Frank Lampard mid-way through last season.

The former Derby County boss led the Sky Blues to a play-off semi-final, where they very narrowly and unluckily succumbed to a last-gasp extra-time loss to eventual play-off winners Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

In the first-half of this campaign, the Midlands outfit were rampant and appeared as though they may have their ascension to the top-flight wrapped up as spring began to hit.

A woeful winter has meant that they have even now had to reclaim their top spot from Middlesbrough with a 3-1 win over the Teessiders recently, having given up a 10-point lead over Boro in the weeks leading up to it.

Players have hit major hot streaks throughout this season and backing up that win against the Teessiders with a 2-0 defeat of struggling West Bromwich Albion and then a 2-1 win away at Sheffield United may well be the beginnings of another mega run of form from City.

Amid the chaos on the pitch, there are suggestions that they are lining up an ambitious move for Cincinnati striker Kevin Denkey ahead of the summer – and that must further befuddle one current Cov player in particular.

Ellis Simms must be confused by Coventry links to Kevin Denkey

According to Alan Nixon, Coventry are reportedly interested in signing former Cercle Brugge striker Kevin Denkey from Major League Soccer franchise FC Cincinnati, who joined the Ohio outfit last year for £13 million.

Denkey has started the 2026 season very well in North America with a brace against Universidad Organizacion y Metodo in the first-leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup first round tie last week before scoring again in a 2-0 defeat of Atlanta United to kick off the 2026 MLS campaign a few days later.

The 44-cap Togo international is a player of immense promise and pedigree and, at the age of 25, would surely arrive at the Coventry Building Society Arena as a marquee addition and one that City would have to build around.

Haji Wright is the current ‘main’ striker for Lampard with the United States international returning to some form with a hat-trick in that victory over Middlesbrough, as well as bagging against the Blades at Bramall Lane.

He has already knocked Simms down the pecking order at Coventry with their abundance of attacking options also including Brandon Thomas-Asante, who has hit double figures for goals this season, too.

Many supporters of Coventry have been left bemused by Simms’ lack of minutes, especially through the middle part of the campaign when Wright was majorly underperforming.

And if another player of the profile and stature of Denkey is to be brought in to that position in the summer, then that will surely leave Simms even more frustrated and potentially considering his future.

Ellis Simms has been unfortunate at Coventry City - he may need summer transfer exit

Having passed through the academies of Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Everton, turning professional with the latter and famously scoring in the Premier League for the Toffees in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, Ellis Simms will feel a bit frustrated to have not gained the full trust of Lampard at Coventry.

The 25-year-old Oldham-born attacker enjoyed impressive loan stints with Blackpool, Hearts and Sunderland before moving to Coventry for a hefty fee believed to be in the region of £3.5 million.

Joining the club in the same summer that they lost Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting CP was always going to be a tough test for Simms but he did do well initially with a 13-goal 2023/24 campaign, again to be beaten by Haji Wright, though, in Coventry’s scoring charts.

A disappointing season last year saw him become the out-and-out proper second choice but, having reached double figures for Championship goals this season despite his lack of starts, he is unfortunate to have been overlooked so often.