Oliver Dovin comments should accelerate Coventry City transfer pursuit: View | OneFootball

Coventry City will be encouraged by recent comments from reported transfer target Oliver Dovin.

Highlights

Coventry City will be hoping to challenge for promotion from the Championship next season.

It was another decent year for the Sky Blues last season, but a poor end to the campaign saw them miss out on the play-off places as they finished ninth in the table.

Alongside their league disappointment, Coventry enjoyed an excellent run in the FA Cup – recovering from 3-0 down against Manchester United in the semi-final at Wembley to take the tie to extra time, but they were beaten on penalties by the Red Devils.

It has been a busy start to the summer for the Sky Blues, and manager Mark Robins has brought in two new additions so far, with Raphael Borges Rodrigues and Jack Rudoni joining from Macarthur and Huddersfield Town respectively, while Luis Binks has completed a permanent move from Bologna following a successful loan spell.

That is unlikely to be the end of the club's summer business, and according to Swedish outlet SportsBladet, Coventry are interested in signing Hammarby goalkeeper Oliver Dovin.

Oliver Dovin reacts to Coventry City speculation

Dovin confirmed reports of interest from Coventry, and while he denied suggestions that he had been in England this week, he did admit that it could be the right time to leave Hammarby.

"Yes. I have heard that there is interest from that club," Dovin told Fotbollskanalen.

"A good club and a good league. But I have a contract with Hammarby right now and therefore it is unnecessary to speculate about other clubs.

"I read somewhere that I was supposed to be in England yesterday. I laughed when I saw it. I was here. I trained here yesterday and then I had dinner at Södermalm. So it was fun to be at home and read it.

"Not as it looks now. There is interest, but Hjelmberg has said that there have been no bids, and I know nothing about whether any bids have been made. So my focus is on Hammarby.

"It absolutely could be (the right time to go).

"I think I have made great strides this past year and have performed well. Going abroad is not something I close the door on now."

While Dovin says he remains fully focused on Hammarby, his comments do suggest that he would be open to the possibility of a move to the CBS Arena, and the Sky Blues should now step up their pursuit of the London-born goalkeeper.

Coventry City should be encouraged by Oliver Dovin comments

It has been claimed that Dovin is one of Coventry's top targets this summer, and it is easy to see why he has emerged on their radar.

Dovin came through the Hammarby academy, and he has established himself as the club's number one goalkeeper in recent years, keeping 29 clean sheets in 85 appearances so far.

The 21-year-old has started every league game for Hammarby this season, and after stating his commitment to the club, he kept another shut-out in their 0-0 draw at GAIS on Sunday.

Dovin's impressive performances for his club have earned him international recognition, and after representing Sweden at youth level, he made his debut for the senior team in January 2023.

The goalkeeper may feel that a move to English football will boost his chances of becoming Sweden's number one, and his refusal to rule out the prospect of leaving Hammarby should give the Sky Blues plenty of hope.

It looks as though Coventry are keen to bring in a new first choice goalkeeper this summer after Robins rotated between Ben Wilson and Brad Collins last season, while their options between the sticks have been depleted after the departure of Simon Moore.

Wilson enjoyed an outstanding campaign in the 2022-23 season as the Sky Blues reached the play-off final, keeping 22 clean sheets in 46 appearances, and he even got on the scoresheet on one occasion.

The 31-year-old began last season as Coventry's number one, but after a tough start to the campaign, he lost his place to Brad Collins in November.

Wilson was briefly restored to the team in February before being dropped once again three games later, and Collins finished the season as first choice, but the fact that both were unable to nail down a place in the team suggests Robins was unconvinced by the pair.

Dovin would almost certainly be number one if he made the move to the West Midlands, and while he is a player who could be a fixture in Robins' side for years to come, he could also make the club a significant profit in the future if he impresses.

Robins' recruitment from abroad has been outstanding in recent years, and after Dovin's comments this week, the Sky Blues should look to get a deal over the line for the Swedish international to solve their goalkeeper problems.