THE SEARCH to find the next Adam Armstrong, Ryan Kent and Jacob Murphy is already well underway with Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray already entering talks with a numer of potential targets for next season.
A total of ten players will be leaving the club when theur current contracts expire, leaving Mowbray with just 14 first team players as he looks to re-build again over the summer.
It is likely that the manager will look towards the loan market again with the likes of Armstrong, Kent and Murphy all proving hugely successful signings last term.
Mowbray will also be looking to use his reputation and contacts in the game again by pursuading free agents to buy into his vision for the club as he works around a similar budget compared to last season.
“We’ve had some conversations with some players and their advisors already,” said Mowbray.
“It is that time of year when players who have been released are looking for moves and your phone doesn’t stop with agents offering players left, right and centre.
“I’ll speak to our scouts and look into the recruitment department which we’re building at the club. Our scouts will put players forward and they’ve been identified.
“We’ll speak to their advisors and make first contact but very often, you’ve got to be patient as the players you want will see what’s out there first which is understandable.
“We’ve had a real improvement on last season and we’ve got to sell to any potential player what we are growing here, the future for the club.
“Can we find another Adam Armstrong, Jacob Murphy or another towering centre-back? Those are the challenges.
“You’ve got to sell the journey and tell the player that by being here, your career will improve.
“If we look at loans, we’ve got to sell the club to Premier League clubs and players, and show them that a stint in League One with Coventry City will ultimately benefit their careers.”
One player who has already made his move to the Ricoh Arena permanent this summer is winger Jodi Jones, who turned down interest from the Premier League anc Championship to join the Sky Blues on a four-year deal from Dagenham and Redbridge for an undisclosed fee.
The 18-year-old has been tipped to have a bright future in the game having already impressed during a handful of first team appearances towards the back end of last season.
And Mowbray has expressed his delighted in landing the teenager after figthing off stiff competition from other clubs who were looking to hijack the deal.
He added: “He is a talented boy so there was a fair bit of competition. I think a number of clubs were alerted after seeing how well he’d done here.
“Some clubs tried to hijack the deal but Jodi, his family and Dagenham and Redbridge stayed loyal to the agreement we already had in place which is great for the club.
“It’s all about putting a foundation in place and he is part of it. He will push the team forward in the future and we need to be ready for that.
“We said to his family that the club now needs to match his ambition and we’re determined to build a squad and a future where we can do that.”
“He may have a four-year deal but he doesn’t want to hang around in League One for four years and neither do we.
“We’re building towards a future where we have just the odd change here and there but mainly have players under contract for the next season to have a consistency about the club.
“We don’t want the mass exodus year-on-year as it just won’t work out for you long term.”
