Coventry City are set to complete the permanent signing of Aston Villa defender Kaine Kesler-Hayden for a seven-figure fee.
The 22-year-old spent the duration of last season on loan at Championship rivals Preston North End, securing their ‘Player of the Year’ award.
However, with Aston Villa under pressure to sell players due to PSR reasons, the Sky Blues have swooped in to secure the full-back on a permanent contract.
Coventry set to land full-back
As reported by journalist John Percy, Coventry City have had an offer in the region of £3.5 million accepted by Aston Villa for full-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden.
The defender is set to undergo a medical with the Championship side on Monday afternoon before the deal will be formally announced by all parties.
He will become Coventry’s second signing of the summer, following the arrival of Spanish left-back Miguel Angel Brau from Granada.
How did he fare last season?
After experiencing several impressive loan spells within the EFL, Aston Villa decided that Kesler-Hayden still wasn’t ready to start at Villa Park and was instead loaned out to Preston North End.
He featured in 44 of the club’s 46 Championship matches last season, contributing to five goals in the process including a superb individual strike against Leeds United.
The 22-year-old also featured six times across cup competitions for Preston.
What does this mean for the future of Milan Van Ewijk?
The main question on Coventry fans’ lips is where this incoming transfer would leave current Sky Blues right-back Milan Van Ewijk.
The Dutchman is under contract for another two years and missed just two matches in the entirety of last season, playing almost every minute since his arrival.
Coventry didn’t have a right-back cover last season due to Jack Burroughs being out on loan.
Since the season ended, Burroughs has now left after being released leaving the Sky Blues in need of a right-back.
However, both Van Ewijk and Kesler-Hayden are very similar in terms of their playstyle and qualities, suggesting it could be a like for like replacement.
Regardless of their similarities, there has been no official reports linking Van Ewijk with an exit from the CBS Arena, meaning currently both will be competing for the shirt next season.
The signing also protects Coventry should they decide to sell Van Ewijk, due to them not needing a replacement and potentially being able to demand more.
