Coventry City are competing for promotion back to the Premier League this season under Frank Lampard.
The Sky Blues reached the play-offs in two of the last three campaigns, including reaching the final in 2023.
But promotion has eluded the club, with both Lampard and Mark Robins falling just short of guiding the team back to the division for the first time since 2001.
A penalty shootout loss to Luton Town three years ago was a frustrating ending to a promising promotion push, but now Coventry are in the mix for a top two spot, which would spare them suffering the same agonising defeat.
However, they face competition from the likes of Middlesbrough, Millwall and Ipswich Town in the fight for automatic promotion.
With the final months of the season now upon us, the pressure will be on the Sky Blues to maintain their place ahead of their rivals at the top of the Championship table.
Gus Hamer would be welcome back at Coventry City
Gustavo Hamer was a part of Coventry’s run to the 2023 play-off final, but he departed for Sheffield United in the aftermath of the defeat.
However, his future at Bramall Lane is now uncertain as we approach the end of the current campaign.
When asked about potentially pursuing a deal for Hamer in the summer, if promoted, FLW’s Coventry fan pundit Chris Deez said he would be welcome back with open arms at the CBS Arena.
He doesn’t believe that going back would be a bad idea, even if the signing of Frank Onyeka in January was a better example of the kind of player the team needs right now.
“I absolutely love Gus Hamer, I don’t think you’ll find a Cov fan who doesn’t love him and doesn’t have fond memories of him, or doesn’t say he’s one of the best players we’ve had in the last decade,” Deez told Football League World.
“I was excited as anybody when we were linked to him in the January window just gone, I think he would’ve been a fantastic signing.
“It was rumoured he was available for something like £6 or 7 million, which I think would’ve been an absolute bargain.
“We say it’s never as good the second time around, but look what he’s doing this season, even in an indifferent season where he was dropped for quite a big chunk of it, and injured for quite a big chunk of it, he’s still got 10 assists in the Championship, which is the most of any player.
“I think in hindsight, maybe we didn’t sign him because [Frank] Onyeka has proven to be exactly what we needed, and I don’t know if Hamer necessarily is because he’s more of an attacking midfielder than Onyeka is, and we needed somebody to hold that midfield space, to free up Matty Grimes a bit more — Onyeka has done that incredibly well.”
Deez has claimed that it would be a real fairytale for Hamer to come back to the club if they gain promotion, and that the player still has a strong connection with the supporters three years on from his exit.
Should Coventry City sign Gustavo Hamer in the summer, if promoted?
“If we get promoted, and Hamer is still available for that sort of between £6 and 10 million valuation, then I would absolutely snap him up,” he continued.
“He’s got that Premier League experience now, he did alright at Sheffield United in the Premier League as well.
“I know they didn’t have a great season, but he was by no means bad for them.
“It would be a real fairytale to see him come back as well because he was so close in helping us get to the Premier League, one kick away when we lost to Luton at Wembley.
“So it would be nice to experience that with us at some point.
“He is getting on a little bit now, so it probably is a case of sooner rather than later.
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“I imagine he would want to come back as well, he’s still got a great connection with the fans, he still attends games and does things in the area, his partner is in charities as well.
“So we’ll always have that connection, and I’m sure after everything that he’s done for the club, and everything we’ve done for him, he would love to try and keep us in the Premier League.”
Coventry are seeking a return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, while Sheffield United are on the fringes of the play-off race, with Chris Wilder’s side in the bottom half of the Championship table.
Gustavo Hamer deal could be smart for Coventry
Hamer is still well regarded by Coventry fans, and he was a key part of their rise as a force in the Championship under Robins.
In his time at Sheffield United, he’s continued to play well and he’s gained experience of playing in the Premier League.
If a deal for £6 to 10 million can be agreed in the summer, then Hamer could be a very smart option to bolster their attacking options for life in the top flight.
He is now 28, and should be at the peak of his career, so provided he remains fit he could be an excellent addition to Lampard’s side, and potentially at a very reasonable cost.
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