With Coventry City linked with a move for Jerry Yates, three of our FLW writers have offered their thoughts on whether he would be a good addition.
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more…
Coventry City will be aiming to secure promotion to the Premier League next weekend when they face Luton Town in the Championship play-off final.
The Sky Blues set up a showdown with Luton Town at Wembley Stadium by securing a 1-0 aggregate victory over Middlesbrough in the semi-finals of this competition.
Ahead of this season-defining fixture, Coventry has been linked with a move for Blackpool striker Jerry Yates.
What has been said about Coventry City’s interest in Jerry Yates?
According to The Sun, Coventry is one of a host of clubs that are interested in signing Yates from Blackpool.
It is understood that the Seasiders currently value Yates at £4m.
Yates was recently linked with Rangers, while West Bromwich Albion, Bristol City, Ipswich Town, and Luton are also said to be keen on a move for the 26-year-old.
Here, three of our FLW writers have offered their thoughts on whether Yates would be a good addition to the club’s squad while also assessing the forward’s ability to potentially step up to the Premier League.
What do our FLW Writers think about a possible move by Coventry for Yates?
Chris Gallagher
I’m not sure he’s at that level.
If Coventry City lose the play-off final then it seems inevitable they will lose Viktor Gyokeres, meaning they will be in the market for a new striker.
And, in this case, he would be a very good signing, because he is proven at that level and he would suit Mark Robins’ side with his work-rate and how he leads the line.
However, if they do go up, I think they should be aiming higher.
Yates is a good player but the step up to the Premier League is a significant one, so Coventry must target a more proven player.
Of course, promotion would bring a massive financial boost, and I think the Sky Blues would be able to attract higher quality.
James Reeves
In the Championship, Yates would be an excellent signing for Coventry.
After a prolific season for relegated Blackpool, Yates deserves to stay in the second tier, and he would be the perfect addition to the Sky Blues.
He would be the ideal partner for Viktor Gyokeres and would help to ease the goal-scoring burden on the Swede, while he would also be a more than capable replacement if Gyokeres were to depart this summer.
But if the Sky Blues were to be promoted to the Premier League, there would be question marks over whether Yates could make the step up.
Yates would be a big gamble to take in the top flight and Robins would be best looking elsewhere, particularly with the increased budget that would likely be at his disposal following promotion.
Josh Cole
Coventry must only swoop on one condition for Yates this summer.
If the Sky Blues fall at the final hurdle in their pursuit for promotion to the Premier League next season, they should seek a permanent deal for the Blackpool man as he has demonstrated that he is capable of making a difference at this level.
Despite playing in a Tangerines side that suffered relegation to League One, Yates still managed to record an impressive total of 18 direct goal contributions.
By learning from the guidance of Robins, the forward could potentially take his game to new heights over the course of the 2023/24 campaign.
However, when you consider that Yates has not played in the Premier League during his career, it would be too much of a risk for Coventry to take to sign him if they secure a long-awaited return to the top flight.
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