Sideways Sammy

On the face of it, adding a defender with just eight league appearances to his team to a top-flight defence likely to be under pressure in most games this season doesn’t seem an especially smart move – particularly as a short-term deal. However, Stephen Mfuni showed during a brief loan stint at Watford last season that he may already be Premier League ready. A left-footed defender who can cover both centre-back and left-back, Mfuni arrives at Coventry City to fill a couple of gaps in the team without the pressure of being an immediate starter.

Likely to be the last defensive signing of the summer, Stephen Mfuni offers pace and technical ability in defence, while also complementing Coventry’s drive to add tall players to the squad to help the team step up to Premier League level. Preferring to play at centre-back, there has to be some concern that Mfuni is seemingly the cover at left-back, risking exposing a young player slightly out of position at the top level, even if he’s not necessarily going to be a complete fish out of water. It feels as if Stephen Mfuni’s addition may well have been made to provide Frank Lampard the option to switch to a back three at some point this season.

With such little first-team experience, and none at top-flight level, to go off, the addition of Stephen Mfuni is a gamble. His loan at Watford last season would suggest it is an educated one but perhaps the greater risk with this signing is that he’s not coming in with a clear path to the starting XI – which is seemingly why the move stalled before its completion. Unless Mfuni is a supremely talented footballer, there are senior players ahead of him in the queue at both centre-back and left-back. If all goes well, Mfuni may barely kick a ball for Coventry City, which perhaps explains why the club were looking to make a loan, rather than permanent, move for the roles the player is covering.