"He dictates everything" - Coventry City lauded for Ben Sheaf transfer activity | OneFootball

FLW's Coventry City fan pundit discussed the club's best of business this summer

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…

It was a busy transfer window for Coventry City, and despite making a number of good signings, Football League World's Sky Blues fan pundit believes that their best bit of transfer business wasn't actually a signing, but it was keeping Ben Sheaf at the club.

Sheaf has become a key player for Coventry since joining from Arsenal in 2020, and he was subject to plenty of transfer interest in the summer thanks to his outstanding performances both in the Championship and their run to the FA Cup semi-final last season, but Mark Robins has managed to keep the 26-year-old at the CBS Arena.

The midfielder was linked with the likes of Fulham and Ipswich Town, according to Alan Nixon, while even the likes of Manchester United were briefly linked with him after he impressed against them in the FA Cup.

Given the Premier League interest, keeping Sheaf at the club is a real boost for Coventry, and he looks set to play an important role for Robins' side when he recovers from his injury.

Keeping Ben Sheaf at the club deemed Coventry City's best piece of transfer business

Our Coventry City fan pundit, Neil Littlewood, has been impressed by the club's transfer business this summer but believes that keeping Sheaf at the club has been more important than any new signing.

Speaking to Football League World, Neil said: "Our best bit of business is hands down keeping Ben Sheaf.

“He’s so pivotal in everything we do, the only issue is keeping him fit, he seems to be a bit injury-prone at the moment.

“When he’s fit and when he’s playing, he dictates everything we do as a football club, our style of play, our tempo, and he elevates players around him.

“I think it was really important that we kept hold of him because he is that important to us.

“In terms of incomings, I think Oliver Dovin is a massive, massive improvement on what we’ve had in goal. Getting Luis Binks back on a permanent deal is a very good bit of business. Jack Rudoni is one hell of a player, we need to play him in his best position, which I don’t think we have yet, but that's down to injuries.

“Ephron Mason-Clark looks a phenomenal talent on the left-hand side, but he needs to make that shirt his own, which I think he can during the international break when Haji Wright is away with the USA, and Haji hasn’t exactly set the world alight this season, bar those two goals at Oxford, and he’s looked a bit sluggish so if Mason-Clark could use this break to make the shirt his own in training them fair play to him.

“I think the best bit of business is keeping Ben Sheaf, 100%.”

Mark Robins will be hoping Ben Sheaf can get over his injury woes

Sheaf is yet to play a league game for the Sky Blues this season and has played just 17 minutes of football, coming against Oxford United in the Carabao Cup.

Robins told Coventry Live in the aftermath of their defeat to Norwich City that Sheaf had aggravated his ankle injury which kept him out of pre-season and faces further time on the sidelines.

The Sky Blues boss told Coventry Live: “You’re looking for that power, strength, understanding and know-how, and that’s why it was a massive blow on Thursday when we lose him for however long we are going to lose him for.”

It's been reported that Coventry are lining up a move for free agent Matty James as an injury replacement for Sheaf, so it indicates that he could be out for some time yet, which will be a huge blow to the Sky Blues.

However, despite his injury setback, Sheaf remaining at the club is a big boost, and he'll be looking to make a big impact when he recovers from his current injury.