Coventry City will attempt to fine-tune the team at Frank Lampard’s disposal in order to power a new promotion push after being eliminated in heartbreaking fashion from the Championship play-off semi-finals by eventual final winners Sunderland at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Following Lampard’s appointment at the end of November, the Sky Blues were among the Championship’s strongest teams, and the former Derby County and Chelsea manager eventually steered the side to fifth position after taking over from Mark Robins when they were 17th.
Lampard, of course, will be conscious that Coventry must improve in some areas, particularly across the backline and in the final third, in order to progress and return to the Premier League. Coventry looks to be looking to acquire a new striker in the next weeks and months.
According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Lampard’s side is interested in signing Preston North End forward Emil Riis before he leaves Deepdale at the end of his contract later this month, but he will face competition from last season’s play-off finalists Sheffield United and a number of other unnamed Championship clubs.
Coventry are somewhat understaffed in the striking area, at least in terms of quality and goal-scoring ability. Norman Bassette and Brandon Thomas-Asante, who were both acquired last summer, registered just six combined Championship strikes in 24/25, while Ellis Simms – a reported £8 million signing from Everton in the summer of 2023 as a replacement for Viktor Gyokeres – failed to follow up on a more-than-respectable 19-goal haul across all competitions in his debut campaign and found the back of the net on only six occasions in the Championship.
The 24-year-old’s inconsistent performances saw him lose his place to Haji Wright, who is equally at ease on the left side of a front three as he is leading the line, and he did not play a single minute in both legs against Sunderland, which many have interpreted as a clear message of where he stands in Lampard’s thinking ahead of the summer transfer window.
Lee Hendrie downplays Ellis Simms, Coventry City upgrading including Emil Riis.
Riis has established himself as a reliable Championship goalscorer in recent seasons. He scored 12 goals last season and will depart Paul Heckingbottom’s side this summer with 46 goals in 186 appearances over five years.
| Emil Riis’ career stats by club, via FotMob | ||||
| Years | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2017-2018 | Derby County | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | VVV-Venlo (loan) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018-2020 | Randers FC | 68 | 16 | 4 |
| 2020-2025 | Preston North End | 186 | 46 | 11 |
It’s no surprise, then, that the Dane is an enticing free transfer target for a number of second-tier clubs. Coventry definitely see him as a step up from Simms, but Sky Sports analyst Lee Hendrie disagrees. Hendrie feels Riis will be “something very similar” to Simms, from whom he expects more.
While Hendrie acknowledges that the Preston striker may be worth a free transfer gamble, he is sceptical that Riis will provide the upgrade over Simms that many Sky Blues fans are anticipating for this summer.
Hendrie clarified in an exclusive interview with Reporter’s that “Coventry are keen on Emil Riis as well, who is set to leave on a free,”
Would he be a better option than Ellis Simms? Personally, I just don’t think so. “I believe Simms has more in store for us. The problem with him is that Haji Wright, who joined the team, has significantly improved.
The only issue with Simms is that, for someone of his calibre, his goal contributions haven’t been particularly noteworthy.
“They brought him in as their main striker, and he hasn’t lived up to their expectations. I’m not sure it would constitute an upgrade; I believe you’ll receive something fairly similar.
“It would suit him, and he might suit Lampard’s style of play at Coventry; but, some players become stale at a club, as Riis has at Preston.
“Maybe taking a chance on a free transfer wouldn’t be a bad idea knowing he could come in and step up to the plate.
“Obviously there are a few clubs interested, that would probably be a better solution for him than Sheffield United.”
Coventry City may need better than Emil Riis to properly compete for promotion.
Although last season’s evidence suggests that, despite Hendrie’s argument, Riis could offer at least something of an upgrade on Simms and Coventry’s other existing striking options, such as Bassette and Thomas-Asante, his goalscoring record in Lancashire doesn’t exactly tell you he could be the ultra-prolific talisman.
Coventry may need to go one further and return to the top tier. Riis’ most prolific season with Preston came in 2021/22, when he scored 16 Championship goals and 20 in all competitions.
However, only two of his five seasons at Deepdale produced double digits in league goals. If Coventry were to sell Simms for what could still be a very large cost – albeit a significant loss on the reported sum they paid Everton, one would suppose – then sign Riis for free, that would be quite savvy business.
However, placing all of their eggs in one basket and hoping that the 26-year-old will be the talismanic figure behind a successful promotion attempt the next time around may not be the best approach.
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