Coventry leading Frank Onyeka transfer race but Brentford progress slow | OneFootball

Frank Lampard’s Championship leaders hopeful of beating Valencia and Sheffield United to deal for Nigeria midfielder

Exit expected: Frank Onyeka is free to leave Brentford before the January transfer deadline

Getty Images

Coventry remain the frontrunners to sign Frank Onyeka but have yet to agree a deal with Brentford.

The Championship leaders are interested in signing the Nigeria international, who is free to leave Brentford this month.

Standard Sport understands that talks between Coventry and Brentford have slowed in recent days, but the club managed by Frank Lampard are still leading the race.

Valencia and Sheffield United have also explored a deal to sign Onyeka, but their interest is at a less advanced stage.

Onyeka’s situation was always going to wait to be resolved after this month’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Nigeria finished third.

Onyeka is available for sale due to wanting more game time than he is currently receiving at Brentford under Keith Andrews. He has made just six Premier League appearances so far this season and no starts.

The 28-year-old is not seen as part of Andrews’ long-term plans for the future at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford have rewarded in-form German midfielder Vitaly Janelt with a new four-and-a-half-year contract this month, while they also signed teenage forward Kaye Furo from Club Brugge for £8million.