Coventry City supporters should enjoy Van Ewijk and Sakamoto whilst they can: View | OneFootball

Highlights

Coventry City had a busy summer, bringing in 11 new players as they looked to make a second push at promotion to the Premier League, following play-off final defeat last time out.

Of the new additions, Milan van Ewijk and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto have been the standouts and Coventry fans should enjoy them whilst they can.

There was big pressure on Coventry to replace Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyökeres when the pair left for big money and the club look to have done very well with their summer business, including nine permanent arrivals.

Coventry City's new-look side have been flying in recent weeks, taking the Sky Blues into Championship play-off contention and currently sitting in sixth place, after a relatively slow start to the season.

Among Coventry's new arrivals, Van Ewijk and Sakamoto arrived as relatively unknown players.

Signed from the Eredivisie and Belgian Pro League, the duo have gone on to become key players for the Sky Blues, creating an exciting right flank at the CBS Arena.

Coventry's supporters have become very fond of the pair, who were both signed for undisclosed fees in the summer, with Sakamoto in particular becoming a firm fan favourite.

Instant impact in Coventry

Signed from Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen on a four-year deal, Dutch wingback Milan vs Ewijk slotted straight into the side at Coventry, quickly becoming a starter at right wing-back, a position Coventry had been looking to find a long-term player in for some time.

The 23-year-old was identified as having great pace, something that has not gone unrecognised since he arrived.

The pacey Dutchman has played 23 times in the Championship this season, starting on 19 occasions. He has been part of a defence which has kept five clean sheets when he has played.

Van Ewijk's impact has also been felt going forward. Despite defending being his main responsibility, Van Ewijk has also scored two Championship goals and provided two assists.

The signing of the wing-back looks to be an absolute genius move from Coventry and one that seemed to go under the radar, with very little interest from elsewhere.

Contracted until 2027, Van Ewijk should be with the Sky Blues for some time yet and Coventry fans will be hoping that is the case.

Sakamoto success

Tatsuhiro Sakamoto was signed from Belgian club KV Oostende on a three-year deal in the summer.

The Japan international featured 30 times for the Belgian side in 2022/23 and proved to have a creative influence with six assists.

Coventry's first ever Asian player struggled to get into the side initially, failing to fit in to Mark Robins' wingless formation.

After a tough start to the season, including a poor run of games in October, a change of shape provided Sakamoto with the opportunity to gain a starting place and he has thrived since.

In 23 Championship appearances, including 15 starts, Sakamoto has provided six assists and scored twice, with both goals coming as his side defeated Middlesborough away from home.

The 27-year-old has cemented himself on the right wing and is continuing to gain popularity among Coventry fans and pundits alike, with even former players lauding the Japanese winger.

Struggle to keep hold of the pair

Despite both only joining in the summer, Coventry's exciting right-sided duo could come in for a lot of attention in the summer and clubs in the Premier League and overseas could do far worse than targeting the dynamic pair.

Both have plenty of time remaining on their contracts, with Van Ewijk contracted until the summer of 2026, whilst Sakamoto still has two seasons remaining and the Sky Blues could attract some big fees for the players.

Van Ewijk provides the pace in attack and defensively works hard and would be a valuable asset to a lot of Premier League sides who could be searching for a full-back or wing-back.

Sakamoto's creativity will be key for Coventry as they look to gain promotion at second time of asking and a successful second half of the season would also increase the asking price for the winger.

Coventry's fans are loving the players and they should appreciate them while they can this season, or for however long they remain with the club.