Coventry City’s Haji Wright may have been hampered by injuries this season, but Saturday’s stunning hat-trick against Sunderland reminded the division of just what the American can bring.
The 26-year-old began this campaign exactly where he left off last season, scoring seven goals in his first 15 appearances. Unfortunately, an ankle ligament injury sustained in early November kept him out for the remainder of 2024 and the start of the New Year.
However, after building his minutes in recent matches, he made his first start at the CBS Arena on Saturday under Frank Lampard. The faith from the head coach was quickly rewarded as he tormented the Black Cats’ defence in a stunning display as the Sky Blues secured a 3-0 win over their play-off rivals.
Coventry now have eight games to secure their play-off spot, and a fully fit and firing Wright could prove to be the key in helping them cross the finishing line.
Haji Wright expected to attract £15-20 million price tag
An all-round brilliant footballer, Wright brings far more than just goals and if teams across Europe begin catching onto this, we could see a great deal of interest in him this summer.
Speaking to Football League World about how the American is Coventry’s most valuable asset, Sky Blues pundit Chris Deez expressed his concern about the prospect of losing him in the upcoming transfer window.
“I think, given recent events, it is obvious which player we can sell for the most in the summer – it has got to be Haji Wright. I think you would have said that before his four-month injury lay-off as well.
“He has come back in, played a few minutes in the first couple of games, got 90 minutes against Derby, and then, 90 minutes later, he scored an amazing hat-trick against our fierce rivals Sunderland.
“I would be absolutely devastated if and when he does leave. So much of it comes down to whether we are a Premier League team or still a Championship side.
“If he goes this summer, I would be shocked if we don’t get between £15-20 million for him. I would say any team in the bottom half of the Premier League table and maybe even going into the top half, £15 million would be an absolute bargain for a USA international who has as much pace and positional awareness as Haji does.
“Teams like Brighton are all about signing younger players for that sort of price tag, £20-25 million, and then selling them on for a massive profit within a couple of years.”
Speaking about other individuals the club could sell, Deez added: “We have a few other players under that price tag, like Milan van Ewijk – £10-15 million, and Jack Rudoni – £10-15 million. Ben Sheaf has probably dropped in value; I think we would do well to get £5-10 million after his injury concerns.”
Coventry City’s transfer stature can help them land hefty fees
The added bonus that Coventry City have when it comes to selling players is that their previous success stories enable them to demand a certain level of fee.
In recent years, we have seen the likes of Viktor Gyökeres and Gustavo Hamer go on to perform at a higher level, and their transfer strategy ensures a revolving door of players like that. Wright is arguably the next on this conveyor belt, and if he performs in the final months of the season, clubs will undoubtedly be keen to pursue him.
However, if he is the player to take them back to the top flight, the Sky Blues will be desperate to retain him, as he seems ready for the jump to the Premier League.
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