Coventry City ready to rival Ipswich Town in transfer pursuit of midfielder | OneFootball

Coventry City are interested in Dan Neil, with the midfielder on loan at Ipswich Town from Sunderland, but he will become a free agent this summer.

Coventry City are closing in on a return to the Premier League after an outstanding season so far under Frank Lampard.

Even though the Sky Blues still have work to do to get over the line, they hold an 11-point lead over third-placed Ipswich Town, so they are in a fantastic position to go up.

Therefore, the recruitment team at the CBS Arena will already be drawing up a list of potential targets if they are a top flight club, and a busy summer is likely to be on the cards.

Coventry City lining up potential move for Dan Neil after Ipswich Town loan spell

And, one name who appears to be on Coventry’s radar is Dan Neil, with the Midlands outfit believed to have been tracking the midfielder prior to January.

However, the 24-year-old ultimately ended up joining Ipswich on loan from Sunderland for the remainder of the campaign.

But, with Neil’s deal at the Stadium of Light expiring in the summer, it has already been confirmed that he will be departing in the summer, so he faces an uncertain future.

Nevertheless, it appears he will have options, as journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that Coventry are in the hunt to sign Neil.

He explains that Lampard and the club are ‘major fans’ of the Sunderland academy graduate, although they are aware that they may have to see off competition from Ipswich for Neil’s signature.

Since joining Keiran McKenna’s side, Neil has played in nine Championship games, which includes starting the last two, the most recent of which was the crucial game at home to promotion rivals Millwall which finished 1-1.

With Neil currently part of the squad at Portman Road, it would be natural to think that they would be in the driving seat over a potential permanent deal, but a lot could depend on whether Ipswich win promotion.

Dan Neil will be an attractive option as a free agent this summer

It’s no surprise that there is interest in Neil, as he is a talented player, and the fact he is available on a free means there were always going to be clubs chasing him.

It may not be the most exciting signing for Coventry fans if they did win promotion, as Neil is unproven in the Premier League, and Sunderland did get rid of him after promotion.

Yet, Lampard would need to beef the squad up, and Neil would be desperate to prove himself in the top flight, as he will feel he didn’t get a fair crack of things at Sunderland this season.

But, this is not straightforward, as Ipswich may be keen on keeping Neil on a long-term basis, and there will be other clubs keeping tabs on him too.

So, it’s one to watch in the summer, but, right now, Neil’s only concern will be helping Ipswich win promotion, and keeping his place in McKenna’s XI for the run-in.

Then, he will assess his options ahead of pre-season, and it seems likely that he will have offers on the table from Premier League clubs, which will no doubt be tempting for Neil.