Coventry City: Frank Lampard told to sign player he played with 5 times for Chelsea | OneFootball

Coventry City will be looking to improve the squad for life in the Premier League next season

Coventry City face a busy summer ahead following their successful promotion campaign.

The Sky Blues won the Championship title on their way to ending a 25-year absence from the Premier League.

Frank Lampard arrived as manager in November 2024, and oversaw a fifth place finish in the table in his first year in charge.

But the club missed out on a top flight place when they lost to Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals.

The 47-year-old guided Coventry one step further this year, with the team finishing 11 points clear of Ipswich Town in second, and 12 ahead of Millwall in third.

Owner Doug King will now be planning for a potentially hectic summer transfer window, as he looks to work with Lampard to build a team capable of surviving in the Premier League.

Coventry City urged to reunite Frank Lampard with former Chelsea teammate

Former Premier League defender Jaap Stam has told Lampard that he should seek the signing of Manchester City defender Nathan Aké this summer.

He likened the prospective signing to Granit Xhaka’s move to Sunderland last year, claiming he would add invaluable experience to the dressing room and help the club survive life in the Premier League.

“Nathan Aké has a great personality, he's a clever player,” said Stam, via Coventry Live.

“I think he can use that to help other players around him to become better players.

“As a club, you need to look at that.

“Having said that, with experienced players, sometimes when they go into smaller clubs, they think they always need to play.

“So you also need to have a look because he's older.

“You need to discuss the situation with him.

“Sometimes, maybe he needs to have a little bit of extra rest so he stays fit for the whole season.

“He played with Frank Lampard at Chelsea so that would be a good combination, I think, because at Coventry, Frank has done a great job to bring them back to the Premier League.

“For Coventry as a club, it's a huge, huge success.

“With Nathan there, he could definitely help him and help that team.”

Aké is currently a part of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team, where he has made 16 Premier League appearances this season, including five starts.

The centre-back has been in and out of the team, with injuries also hampering his availability at times.

But he has won the Premier League title on four occasions with the Manchester outfit, as well as twice being a part of the Chelsea squad that won in 2015 and 2017.

He could also play a role this weekend in the FA Cup final, and it remains unclear what his future will be with the club beyond this campaign.

Aké previously played with Lampard at Chelsea, where they shared the pitch on five occasions, including three times in the Premier League.

The Dutchman still has one year remaining on his Man City contract, but an exit could be arranged this summer in order to avoid losing him for nothing in 2027.

Given he has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad this season, Guardiola may also be open to his departure.

Coventry will be hoping to add Premier League quality and experience, as they await 19 June to find out their opponent on the opening day of the new season.

Nathan Aké deal could work for Coventry

Coventry will be wary of the potential wage cost of signing someone of Aké’s experience, but he could prove a smart addition.

He knows Lampard from their time together at Chelsea, and he has played at the highest level over the last several seasons at Man City.

Xhaka has had a major impact for the Black Cats, and has shown the value of someone who knows the league in and out.

But it would be quite an ambitious signing from King, and it remains to be seen whether he could afford to bring in someone of Aké’s calibre, even as he approaches the latter stages of his career.