Coventry City's Premier League promotion is now confirmed, and the club have moved quickly to bolster their squad ahead of the task that lies ahead. The Sky Blues' first new addition has already been announced, and another could be on the horizon, with Gustavo Hamer linked with a return.
Frank Onyeka becomes first signing
Frank Onyeka will be the first signing of City's new chapter. The Nigerian midfielder joined on loan from Brentford in February, and the deal included a clause whereby he would join permanently if promotion was clinched.
The step up to the Premier League will bring a significant financial boost while also presenting players with the prestige of competing in the top flight. That appealed to Hamer when he left Coventry for Sheffield United, but he could now move in the opposite direction for his second crack at the big time.
Hamer compared to Gascoigne
According to former City assistant manager Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider, Hamer is one of a number of Championship stars who could find themselves on manager Frank Lampard's shopping list. The Dutch playmaker scored nine league goals as Mark Robins' Sky Blues reached the play-off final in 2022/23 and notched four for the Blades in the Premier League despite their relegation.
"Coventry will be looking at the best players in the Championship who might be able to make that step up into the Premier League with them," Brown said. "Hamer is definitely among them, and he's shown that over a number of years.
"They still rate him very highly at Coventry, and the fans loved him when he was there, so it would make sense for both parties if he was to make a return. I expect it's something they will both be interested in doing if it's possible, because he has got the quality at his best to make them into a better team."
Hamer, 28, has contributed four goals and 12 assists in the Championship this season to help his side bounce back from a sluggish start and climb towards mid-table. Former Sheffield United defender Paul Parker has been so impressed with the Brazil-born star that he has even gone to compare him to one of his most talented former team-mates, Paul Gascoigne.
"I think there's a reason he's not a Premier League player. There's something there," Parker told the Yorkshire Post in September. "He needed a club that got promotion from the Championship and wanted to bring him into the Premier League.
"But he's definitely got talent, the lad. He's definitely top two in the Championship. Every time I watch him, he's a focal point. He reminds me, really, of a modern-day Gazza. In England, we're trying to find an Englishman to be Gazza.
"There's actually a Gazza playing in the Championship. You look at his body shape and think 'no, you're not an athlete, you can't play football', but he can play."
