Frank Lampard fended off transfer sharks at Coventry City - but early 2026 Milan van Ewijk worry still remains | OneFootball

Coventry City's Milan van Ewijk has been outstanding but transfer worries are still prevalent for Frank Lampard

Coventry City's Milan van Ewijk was subject to transfer speculation in the summer and could still be on many clubs' radar come January, after an outstanding start to the season for the Sky Blues.

The Coventry right-back has raised eyebrows over the course of his time with the Sky Blues, and continues to do so this season.

The Dutchman had plenty of transfer interest surrounding his name this summer window with his exit seeming likely. However, after standing firm, Frank Lampard will be thankful he did so, but his star defender could still well be on many clubs' list of targets once January comes around.

In the summer, Van Ewijk was linked with a move away from CV6, with Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers as well as Bundesliga side Wolfsburg being the two front-runners to sign the highly rated defender.

After managing to retain his services for the time being, the 25-year-old was seamlessly integrated back into his starting role, with transfer talk not putting him off his stride. Van Ewijk has made nine league appearances for Coventry this season and has been a constant threat going forward with five assists to his name so far, including two standout performances against Derby and Millwall where he set up two goals in each.

The right-back is commonly regarded as one of the best talents in the division. Therefore, Lampard will be lucky to keep him around for much longer, with interest from higher clubs already proving to be tough to fend off - especially if he is to keep up his outstanding form.

A potential Milan van Ewijk transfer exit will still worry Coventry City supporters

It was clear in the summer that the Sky Blues were well-prepared for the potential exit of their starman by bringing in Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Aston Villa as his replacement, which went down as a shrewd piece of business.

Despite the 22-year-old perhaps being frustrated with his game-time due to the retention of Van Ewijk, the original plan may well come to fruition in the new year if their starting right-back is to depart to CBS Arena.

Kesler-Hayden has shown that he is more than capable of stepping up to the plate after a terrific loan spell with Preston, and he has continued in the same vein since arriving in the West Midlands.

It would come as no surprise to Sky Blues fans if clubs were to be sniffing around for Van Ewijk's signature once again. However, his exit would be a major loss, especially due to the fact that the club are in a real conversation for promotion to the Premier League, which has eluded them over the past few seasons.

Frank Lampard resisted the fierce competition from bigger clubs than themselves once, and amid the full-back's continued amazing form, it will for sure be impressive if he is to do it again.

Coventry have one of the Championship's best talents on their hands - they must resist cash-in temptation

With Van Ewijk's Coventry City contract set to expire in the summer of 2027, there's no rush for the Sky Blues to sell their starman so soon, and he could prove to be a vital player in their quest to return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.

But with one eye on the January transfer window, everyone involved at Coventry will be preparing themselves for life without him after being at the club for over two seasons now.

His regular availability for selection, having made just shy of 100 Championship appearances up to this point, highlights the key figure that he is, and their defence may struggle to adapt without him.

His potential absence could well disrupt Coventry's backline, which has been solid so far this season, with the Sky Blues currently holding the second-best defensive record in the league up to this point, having merely conceded seven goals in nine games.

You would say that Kesler-Hayden is more or less a direct swap for Van Ewijk. However, the threat that he poses going forward will for sure be hard to replicate on a consistent basis.

But with a huge injection of cash that his transfer would likely bring with it, it may not be long until we see Coventry take the next step in progressing to the top of the English Football pyramid.

For now though, and particularly when the club appear to have their best chance yet of finally winning Premier League promotion this season, any temptations to cash in on their flying Dutchman must be resisted.

His contributions in both attack and defence have been integral to the Sky Blues' superb start to the season, and with them still being in a strong position regarding his contract, the club should take the 'wait and see where we're at come the summer, and then we'll talk about a potential transfer exit if that's still something of interest' stance.