Coventry City send £15m bid as Premier League clubs eye Ben Sheaf

Carlton Palmer believes his former club Coventry City will be able to pocket a fee of around £10-15m from a Premier League club for Ben Sheaf.

With City’s place in the Championship confirmed for next season, finishing ninth – nine points short of the total needed to reach the play-offs – rumors have already begun to circulate of potential exits for the players who almost made it past the final from last year or they took Manchester. United all the way in an FA Cup semi-final last month.

Sheaf is currently leading those exit demands as Fulham, Luton Town and newly-promoted Ipswich Town will battle it out for the midfielder’s signature when the summer transfer window opens.

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A product of Arsenal’s academy, the 26-year-old has made 143 appearances in the middle of the park for Mark Robins’ side since his arrival in 2021. His performances during that time have earned him a £10million price tag sterling, according to Reuters. The latest rumours, however Palmer is sure the city should hold off top suitors for an even bigger payday.

“The midfielder has been outstanding for Coventry over the last two seasons. He was recently handed the captain’s armband by the manager,” the former England international told Football League World. “This season has just finished and Mark Robins has come out and said he will have record offers for any of his players to leave the football club now.

“Coventry got new owners into the football club and year on year Mark Robins had to rebuild. So now they are hoping that they will have some continuity and that they can keep the players.

“Obviously when Premier League clubs come knocking it’s very, very difficult and Coventry will lose this season. But I have no doubt that Coventry will be there or thereabouts next season and I am in a strong position with Ben Sheaf. He is under contract until the summer of 2026 and I’m sure there will be talks to extend his contract.

“But otherwise,” he added, “they’re in control of the situation. Other than that, it will take an offer of, I would guess, around £10-15m. It will take a record fee, as Mark Robins said, £10-15m, for them to think about it.”

Should Palmer’s vision come true and the club hold out for the upper end of that range, it would make Sheaf the third most expensive departure from the Coventry Building Society Arena in the club’s history, behind Victor Gyokeres (£18m £2023) and Robbie Keane (£16.7m 2000).

However, it would mean he would become the highest-paid midfielder to leave City, as £15m marginally beats the £14.8m Sheffield United paid for Gustavo Hamer last almost 12 months.

Is £15m a fair price for Ben Sheaf’s exit? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section HERE