Leeds United & Everton eye Frank Lampard favourite at Coventry City - Brentford also keen | OneFootball

Premier League trio Brentford, Everton and Leeds are reportedly keeping tabs on Coventry City's Bobby Thomas

Coventry City are facing a battle to keep star defender Bobby Thomas at the club this January, with Premier League trio Brentford, Everton and Leeds United reportedly keeping tabs on the Englishman.

According to The Sun, Coventry City centre-back Bobby Thomas is being courted by teams in the Premier League this January, including Brentford, Everton, and Leeds United, as Sky Blues head coach Frank Lampard faces a serious battle to keep hold of the Englishman.

Coventry currently lead the Championship table under the guidance of Frank Lampard, with the Sky Blues having become notable for their attacking prowess this season. Though their defence has been equally good, and it's probably not getting the recognition it deserves, with their attack stealing all the headlines.

Thomas has formed a dominant partnership alongside Liam Kitching in the side's back four, with the pair having previously played together at Barnsley in League One during the 2022/23 season, and have now linked back up to form one of the best defensive duos in the division.

Thomas joined Coventry in the summer of 2023 for £2 million from Burnley and has been an almost ever-present in the side since, and now finds himself with the real prospect of playing Premier League football next season, whether that is with his current club or not.

Coventry City face a battle to keep hold of Bobby Thomas amid Premier League interest

Brentford have been the club most prominently linked with Thomas, with the Bees having garnered a reputation for signing talented players for relatively cheap before selling them for a substantial profit, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, and Ivan Toney, just to name a few who have passed through West London in recent times.

Should the former Burnley man make the switch to the Bees, he would have to compete with the likes of Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg, Kristoffer Ajer, and Ethan Pinnock for a place in the starting 11, so if it is guaranteed game time he is after, he is best sticking with Coventry on that basis.

Both Everton and Leeds have also reportedly scouted Thomas over a potential move, each of whom he would also, on the face of it, struggle to nail down a guaranteed spot in the side.

A Premier League player in all but name, this season is surely Thomas's last playing in the Championship for the foreseeable future, as if he somehow doesn't achieve promotion to the top flight this season with Coventry, a move in the summer would be an almost foregone conclusion.

Bobby Thomas will be pivotal to Frank Lampard's and Coventry City's Premier League ambitions this season

Coventry have found a settled side under Lampard, and with the January window approaching, the former Chelsea and England midfielder will be doing everything he possibly can to not disrupt that.

Carl Rushworth, Milan van Ewijk, Thomas, Kitching, and Jay Dasilva have more often than not been the Sky Blues' back line this campaign, and with the second-best defensive record in the league, Lampard must ensure that minimal change is made to it.

Thomas has been crucial to Coventry's efforts throughout the season and has emerged as one of the league's most outstanding defenders, seeing him unsurprisingly linked with a switch to the top flight.

Sheffield United saw an £8 million bid for Thomas turned down in the summer, with Coventry now likely valuing him at more like triple that value now.

Should Coventry go on and win promotion this season, Thomas will be crucial to those efforts, and it's imperative the club does everything they can to keep him at the CBS Arena beyond the January window.