Coventry City and Southampton may have dodged big transfer bullet - it involves Gary Rowett | OneFootball

Coventry City and Southampton may be feeling a sense of relief that they did not sign Oxford United's Tyler Goodrham this summer.

It was not long ago that Oxford United midfielder Tyler Goodrham was one of the most in-demand talents in the Championship, with Coventry City and Southampton both among his suitors.

Coventry and Southampton may have had contrasting starts to the season, with the former flying high at the top of the table and the latter languishing just above the relegation zone, but both were tipped to be among the promotion front-runners this season.

With both clubs having ambitions of Premier League football, it is little surprise that they were shopping in similar markets this summer, and as FLW exclusively revealed back in May, the Sky Blues and the Saints were keeping tabs on Goodrham, along with fellow promotion hopefuls Middlesbrough.

Goodrham had starred for Oxford over the previous few seasons, earning himself a reputation as one of the most exciting youngsters outside the top flight in the process, and while a big move did not materialise this summer, it seemed only a matter of time before the 22-year-old took the next step in his career.

However, Goodrham's stock has fallen after a frustrating start to the season at the Kassam Stadium, and Coventry and Southampton may be breathing a sigh of relief that they avoided a summer deal.

Tyler Goodrham emerged on Coventry City and Southampton radar after strong Oxford United form

Goodrham became Oxford's youngest ever player when he made his debut for the club at the age of 16 years and 98 days in a 4-1 win over Crawley Town in the EFL Trophy in November 2019, and after loan spells with Hayes & Yeading United and Slough Town, he established himself as a regular fixture in the first team.

After helping the U's avoid relegation from League One in the 2022-23 campaign, Goodrham starred as his side earned promotion via the play-offs the following year, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists in 51 appearances in all competitions.

Goodrham continued to be an important influence for the Yellows in the Championship last season as they managed to avoid relegation against all the odds, with the midfielder chipping in with four goals and six assists in 46 games, and it felt inevitable that his performances would have caught the eye of some of the division's bigger clubs.

It is not just at club level that Goodrham was making a name for himself as he also received his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad for the games against Turkey and San Marino in September 2023, but he did not feature in either of those fixtures.

With the likes of Coventry, Southampton and Middlesbrough circling, it looked like a big coup for Oxford to hold on to Goodrham this summer, but a few months on from the closure of the transfer window, his fortunes at the Kassam Stadium have changed significantly.

Coventry City and Southampton may be shocked at Tyler Goodrham, Oxford United situation

After Goodrham's excellent first season in the Championship, there was little sign of the struggles that were ahead for the midfielder.

Goodrham even started the first four league games of this season for Oxford, and he also hit a stunning winner in the EFL Cup first round victory over Colchester United, which led manager Gary Rowett to describe him as a player with "huge potential".

However, after being a regular starter in the opening weeks of the season, Goodrham has not featured for the U's since the end of August, while he has even been left out of the matchday squad altogether for the past two games against Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday.

Amid his lack of game time at senior level, Goodrham recently asked to play a game for the club's Under-21 side, but he was sent off during that appearance, with Rowett admitting that the incident was "typical of how his season's gone so far".

Despite leaving him out of the team in recent months, Rowett has offered Goodrham his public backing, calling him a "talented young player" and insisting that he expects him to "come again", while he also admitted that he is "a little unfortunate he hasn't got on the pitch a bit more".

Rowett's words may offer some comfort to Goodrham in his current predicament, but it is difficult to see him forcing his way back into the team any time soon, particularly as Oxford have picked up 11 of their 12 points this season without him.

With Goodrham's development stalling, it is fair to say he may not have been ready to make the step up to a club like Coventry or Southampton just yet, and the pair may be feeling that they have dodged a bullet by not signing him this summer.

Goodrham has proven that he is capable of performing at Championship level, and as Rowett said, it would be no surprise to see him regain his form at some point in the future, but right now, a move to a promotion-chasing club like the Sky Blues or the Saints seems out of reach for the attacker.