Exclusive: Sky Sports pundit issues clear Coventry City, Milan van Ewijk transfer prediction

Coventry City have landed a significant transfer coup in the form of Kaine Kesler-Hayden – but it may inevitably lead to the exit of current right-back star Milan van Ewijk.

The Sky Blues have signed Kesler-Hayden on a permanent basis from Aston Villa, with The Athletic reporting the fee as £5 million after initial reports claimed a lower figure of £3.5 million had been agreed between the two Midlands clubs.

Coming off the back of the Player of the Year-winning season on loan at Preston North End, the 23-year-old’s stock is pretty high, which has led to a move to a club who under Frank Lampard were able to turn their fortunes around in 2024-25 and finish in the Championship’s play-off spots.

Coventry City swoop for Kaine Kesler-Hayden will almost certainly lead to Milan van Ewijk exit

Not long after news of Kesler-Hayden’s agreed transfer to Coventry broke, Sky Sports reported on June 30 that Fulham had re-entered the running to sign Coventry’s Dutch right-back Van Ewijk.

The Cottagers, who have seen starting right-back Kenny Tete’s contract expire, albeit they are still in talks to renew it, were interested in Van Ewijk back in January, according to ESPN Netherlands, but a move to any club did not come to fruition for the 24-year-old.

And speaking exclusively to Football League World, former Premier League midfielder turned Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie thinks that Kesler-Hayden’s arrival at the CBS Arena will now inevitably lead to Van Ewijk’s departure, and that there will be no battle between the two for a starting spot under Lampard.

“I think Kesler-Hayden will end up going to Cov and Van Ewijk, it’s looking like it’s one of them where he goes,” Hendrie told FLW.

“Kesler-Hayden for £3.5 million, you can’t really go wrong. You’re not really throwing loads of cash at it really for that sort of fee, he’s a young player as well with potential and good quality and a good replacement.

“I think Van Ewijk has been excellent for Coventry since they brought him in, and you can see why he’s drawn attraction from Premier League clubs in Fulham.

“So, you’d think that now a jigsaw puzzle will fix itself by Van Ewijk leaving and Kesler-Hayden coming in, but I think this will be a good signing for Coventry, I really do.”

Coventry City selling Milan van Ewijk would make perfect business sense – £10 million-plus would be a good deal

Coventry’s interest in Kesler-Hayden that emerged not long after their elimination from the Championship play-offs at the hands of Sunderland was always likely to lead to a Van Ewijk exit, and although no move has transpired just yet, it feels like it’s only a matter of time.

Van Ewijk has given two very good seasons of service to the Sky Blues, and he has proven to be a very effective attack-minded full-back for Cov – but his time to have a crack at the top flight is probably now.

Lampard clearly has his succession plan in place already with a deal for Kesler-Hayden, and that should in theory allow a smooth transition for the Villa man to become the new first-choice right-back in the England legend’s system.

With two years left on his Coventry contract though, Van Ewijk won’t be going anywhere for cheap – chairman Doug King must demand over £10 million for the Dutchman’s services, as anything less would surely be an under-representation of his true value.