The final signing of the summer transfer window, Todd Kane seems a curious addition, to say the least. Now the third right-back on the books of the club – albeit, capable of filling in on the left or in midfield – and having been exiled by his previous club for, among other things, picking up a seven-game ban for discriminatory language ‘referencing ethnicity or nationality’, Todd Kane doesn’t immediately seem to be the kind of player the Sky Blues either want or need.
Putting the question marks as to Todd Kane’s character to one side, however, he is someone who has a lot of experience of Championship football. Once a fairly well-regarded prospect at Chelsea, Kane went down the usual path of various loan spells, perhaps staying contracted to his parent club a little too long, before moving on to Queens Park Rangers two years ago. A slightly inconsistent performer, Kane can provide energy and quality deliveries down the right side on his day, while being able to play on the other side reasonably well and having played in central midfield earlier in his career.
Signing someone of the calibre of Todd Kane to fill out the squad is part of the process of establishing the club in the Championship – like replacing Maxime Biamou with Martyn Waghorn. The big question with signing Todd Kane is whether the doubts as to his character and attitude could be potentially disruptive or whether the player has simply made a few misjudged comments. Assistant manager, Adi Viveash, who would have worked with Kane at Chelsea, has presumably vouched for the player’s character, who may also benefit from a fresh start at a new club. The jury is out with this signing – especially as it leaves the team with too many right-backs and short of a natural back-up for Ian Maatsen at left wing-back – but Todd Kane could add good competition to the squad, helping nudge up the bar of quality.
Sideways Sammy 