Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterCoventry City have had to wait to get their man but goalkeeper Carl Rushworth is finally on his way back to the Coventry Building Society Arena for a reported club record fee of �22.5 million.Rushworth was ever-present for Coventry as they won the Championship last season, helping them to secure a return to the Premier League after 25 years away. Frank Lampard needed a permanent goalkeeper and Rushworth was justifiably top of the target list.The 25-year-old was excellent for the Sky Blues in 2025-26 and is expected to sign from Brighton & Hove Albion after several weeks of negotiations. The fee could rise to �30 million and Brighton have reportedly been able to include both a sell-on clause and a buy-back arrangement.The Premier League promotion transfer dilemmaCoventry are a potent example of the challenges faced by teams promoted from the Championship. While some move up and down frequently and return to the Premier League every few years more or less ready to make a fist of survival, others have a decision to make.As emphatic as their promotion was in the end, Coventry were not a Premier League-ready team coasting in the Championship. Doug King isnt the sort of owner to settle for yo-yo club status but getting the team beyond that by the end of the summer transfer window is a formidable challenge. You may like England star undergoes US medical as Manchester City break transfer record: report EFL club set to make �35m profit on Chelsea transfer How to watch EFL Championship final day 2025/26: Live Streams as promotion and play-off races decided Lampard and Coventry might feel a degree of deserved loyalty to the players that got them promoted but theres work to do in the transfer market. Signing Rushworth the second new addition to break the club record after defender Aurele Amenda is still just the beginning.Sporting director Dean Austin has also been able to secure the services of midfielder Frank Onyeka after he spent the second half of the season on loan at the CBS from Brentford. Loum Tchaouna joined from relegated Burnley.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Its a good start, but its just a start.On the night they won the Championship title, Coventry played with Liam Kitching and Bobby Thomas at the heart of a back four, flanked by Milan van Ewijk on the right and Jay Dasilva on the left. Onyeka played in midfield with captain Matt Grimes behind Jack Rudoni, Ephron Mason-Clark and Romain Esse, with Haji Wright up front.Coventry deservedly thumped Portsmouth 5-1 but there are positions in that line-up that demand an upgrade before the matter of depth even comes into play. What to read next Elliot Anderson transfer hopes dashed, as Manchester City prepared to walk away from deal: report Newcastle United stand aside as Leeds United close in on James Trafford transfer: report Chelsea set eye-watering price tag for wantaway star: report With Rushworth and Onyeka locked in and Tchaouna a logical upgrade on former loanee Esse, Austin and Lampard are surely looking to add defenders, particularly on the left and in the middle, capable of pushing for a starting spot in the Premier League.Sky Blues supporters have become comfortable with the idea that goals scored by the team in the aggregate can justify a striker contributing primarily in other ways, but its inarguable that another centre-forward is necessary, at least as an alternative to Haji Wright and Ellis Simms.This is a football club on a high but also at a risky point in their progress. Coventry must strengthen without gutting the team thats been so successful, must add high-value players to their ranks without losing the collective personality that underpinned Lampards achievements last term.Simply throwing money into the squad is no solution but the squad as it stands has room for another big buy. Sadly for the clubs accountants, ensuring that incoming players represent a marked improvement is going to cost them.If the Sky Blues are intent on standing their ground in the top division this season, Rushworths record might not stand for long.TOPICSPremier LeagueChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
