O’Hare might be crucial to the Sky Blues’ bid for the playoffs.
Coventry City is once again competing for a spot in this season’s top six after losing in a devastating penalty shootout in the Championship play-off final the previous season.
Almost other Football League clubs are preoccupied with transfers at this time of year, but Mark Robins’ team would be better served by signing offensive midfield star Callum O’Hare to a long-term deal during the winter transfer window.
The 25-year-old’s contract with the CBS Arena expires at the end of the current campaign, so after it is done, he can walk away as a free agent. With the transfer window open, he could even sign a pre-contract with a foreign team.
The Sky Blues were not in play-off contention prior to O’Hare’s long-awaited return from an ACL injury sustained on Boxing Day 2022. The former Aston Villa player missed the second part of the previous season and was not ready to play again until October 2023.
On December 8, 2023, the offensive midfielder earned his first start of the season and was instrumental in a 2-0 victory over Midlands rival Birmingham City, scoring a brace.
The Sky Blues’ season has taken a turn for the better since O’Hare returned, and his return has already outperformed any potential addition to the Robins roster.
New O’Hare contract vital
| Callum O’Hare 2023/24 Championship stats | (All stats as per FotMob) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 13 (6 starts) |
| Goals | 3 |
| Expected Goals | 1.72 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Expected Assists | 0.94 |
Before O’Hare entered the starting lineup for the Sky Blues, Robins’ team was at best erratic, and a lackluster mid-table finish appeared more likely than a repeat run for the playoffs.
O’Hare’s form, though, has helped them turn things around and revived hopes of finishing in the top six.
After defeating Blues 2-0 as previously indicated, Robins’ team had a difficult stretch of games against Leeds United, Sunderland, and Southampton, three teams vying for promotion.
But because O’Hare was there, the Sky Blues emerged from these tough matches unharmed, drawing 1-1 with the Whites and the Saints before winning emphatically 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.
O’Hare played a crucial role in these successful outcomes, helping Haji Wright in the draw against the Saints and adding a goal in the thrilling win over the Black Cats.
Following his comeback to the starting lineup against Blues, Robins’ team went on to win seven straight games in the Championship, culminating in a decisive 6-2 victory against League One Oxford United in the FA Cup third round.
Before the former Villa player became fit again, the Sky Blues had not won more than five straight games in the second division this season.
The Sky Blues need to hold onto O’Hare because he has shown that he is still one of the best players in the Championship despite his ACL injury.
Retaining O’Hare is the best thing the Sky Blues can do during this transfer window because it is quite unlikely that any new player would join the team and replace the 25-year-old as the team’s symbol.
O’Hare’s contract latest
The Championship team is making an effort. The Villa youth product has reportedly been given new terms, according to the Coventry Telegraph, and Robins has stated that the player now has the upper hand.
“You’ll have to ask Callum,” Sky Blues manager Mark Robins stated in an interview with The Coventry Telegraph.
“I have honestly got nothing to say on it.
“If you ask Callum he just wants to concentrate on his football.
“That’s the long and short of it and I am not going to put him under any undue pressure and he will do what he does.
“But rest assured, we have done everything we can.
“So ultimately it will be down to Callum, at the end of the day.
“We want him to stay, there’s no two ways about it.
“We want him to stay and we have made that patently clear.
“But look, he has to concentrate on his football.
“He’s only just come back from his injury and he’s worked so hard to get himself back into this position and there are great signs from him.”
O’Hare could hold the key to the Sky Blues’ play-off push
The attacking midfielder’s comeback to fitness has already propelled the Sky Blues back into the top six, and if he stays healthy and continues to play at his present level, there is no reason why Robins’ team cannot make it to the play-offs.
With the experience of making it to the top six in the previous season, the Sky Blues have a slight advantage over some of their play-off-chasing competitors. However, there are still more twists and turns to come for second-tier clubs in the Championship season.
O’Hare, who has begun to resemble the final component in the Sky Blues’ jigsaw, is yet another asset on their side. The greatest business they could do this month would be to tie him down to a new contract that keeps him at Coventry for the duration of this season and beyond.
All they need to do is get the 25-year-old to sign the contract, which is already on the table.
