£3.5m Coventry City star in strange situation after Wolfsburg transfer collapse - It's changed the dynamic | OneFootball

Kaine Kesler-Hayden would not have expected Milan van Ewijk to still be at the club past the summer window

Coventry City defender Kaine Kesler-Hayden surely finds himself in an unexpected predicament following the collapse of Milan van Ewijk's proposed move to VfL Wolfsburg.

The 22-year-old was widely viewed as van Ewijk's natural successor when he arrived from Aston Villa in July for around £3.5m. It was understood that Stoke City were also interested in him.

But, the Dutchman is now seemingly established as Frank Lampard's first-choice right-back - which leaves Kesler-Hayden's path to regular football at Coventry somewhat unclear.

Milan van Ewijk's stalled Wolfsburg deal puts Kaine Kesler-Hayden in a strange situation

Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri revealed that van Ewijk's transfer to Wolfsburg had reached advanced stages before ultimately collapsing due to disagreements over final details.

The deal, reportedly worth €10m plus €2m in add-ons, would have opened the door for Kesler-Hayden to step into the starting eleven.

Instead, van Ewijk has continued his superb form for the Sky Blues, starting all four Championship matches so far this season and registering three assists - which lands him joint top of the charts.

His performances against Derby County, where he grabbed two assists, and in the 7-1 thrashing of QPR shows exactly why Lampard is reluctant to change his defensive setup in the league.

While van Ewijk's commitment now remains unquestioned for at least until January, the club now faces the challenge of keeping a £3.5m asset satisfied with limited opportunities.

Kesler-Hayden has been restricted to just 24 minutes of Championship action across two substitute performances, though he did start both Carabao Cup fixtures against Luton Town and Millwall.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden could be wasted on the bench at Coventry City

What makes Kesler-Hayden's situation particularly frustrating is his proven track record in the second-tier.

The Birmingham-born defender was Preston North End's Player of the Season during his loan spell last campaign, managing two goals and three assists in 44 league appearances.

His versatility should, in theory, make him an attractive option for Lampard. Capable of playing across both flanks in attack and defence, Kesler-Hayden can also play in central defence - as per his FotMob profile.

Yet with van Ewijk in such good form at the minute, those qualities remain largely untapped, and Kesler-Hayden has only started at right-back so far for Coventry.

Van Ewijk was the West Midlands club's seventh summer signing two years ago, arriving at the club from Eredivisie outfit SC Herenveen on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The Dutchman has been the mainstay at right-back for the full-seasons he's been at the club already - and has made 104 appearances across all competitions in total.

For Kesler-Hayden, this leaves the England youth international in the uncomfortable position of being too good for the bench himself but unable to put his right-back counterpart on it (for the league anyway).

Neither player nor club probably anticipated a selection dilemma when the window closed, with the former Villa man telling the club upon completion of his move, "I'm absolutely buzzing to be here. It seems like the perfect move for me and the next step in my career.

"Words can't describe how happy I am to be at this club, he added.

Yes, good competition is obviously healthy and needed for a side towards the top of the Championship, but there's no doubt that the collapse of the van Ewijk, Wolfsburg deal altered the dynamic at the CBS Arena.