Coventry City conducted some shrewd business
Abbie Meehan Senior Sports Writer
05:00, 12 Jul 2026
Chelsea players and backroom staff with Premiership trophy after winning the 2004-05 Championship after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Charlton Athletic at Stamford Bridge on May 7, 2005 in London, England.
A three-time Premier League winner joined Coventry City on a free(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Coventry City are making moves in the summer transfer window as they prepare for a long-awaited return to the Premier League.
Frank Lampard's side secured top-flight status for the first time in 25 years after topping the Championship table last season. The west Midlands side are looking to follow in the footsteps of Sunderland and Leeds in remaining in the Premier League after gaining promotion and are already working on plenty of signings.
The Sky Blues have tied Lampard down to a deal at the club until 2029 and also secured Brentford midfielder Frank Onyeka by the end of June. Coventry have also handed extensions to key stars like Victor Torp and Bobby Thomas.
Lampard may look to the free agency market to add more firepower to his squad ahead of the new campaign. Here, Coventry Live looks back at three free transfers that turned heads in the west Midlands.
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Joe Cole
Joe Cole was a Premier League veteran by the time he arrived at Coventry, having played for Chelsea, West Ham, Liverpool and Aston Villa. His time at Stamford Bridge was the most prolific for the midfielder, with 39 goals and 47 assists in 282 appearances.
Sullay Kaikai of Shrewsbury Town and Joe Cole of Coventry City during the Sky Bet League One match between Shrewsbury Town and Coventry City at New Meadow on March 8, 2016 in Shrewsbury, England.
Joe Cole spent a short time with the club(Image: James Baylis - AMA/Getty Images)
The England international had won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup and was a runner-up in the 2007-08 Champions League final with Chelsea. Cole initially joined the Sky Blues on an emergency loan from Aston Villa in October 2015 and stated that the move "just seems right."
He went on to join on a free transfer until the end of the 2015/16 season, racking up 22 appearances and making eight contributions. While it was a short-term move, Cole was happy to be at the club as he admitted it was "just about playing football."
The attacking midfielder spent the rest of his career at Tampa Bay Rowdies and retired in 2018 at the age of 37.
Yakubu
Yakubu.
Yakubu couldn't find his shooting boots at Coventry(Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Yakubu had also reached the twilight of his career by the time he joined Coventry, having turned out for the likes of Everton, Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City. The goal machine racked up 218 goals, including 42 for Portsmouth, 39 for Maccabi Haifa and 45 contributions for the Toffees.
The Nigeria international earned 57 caps for his country, finding the net 21 times internationally. Yakubu joined the Sky Blues in the January 2017 window but failed to bring his goalscoring form to the club.
He struggled to get minutes for Coventry due to injury and made just three appearances - although he did assist once in League One. He left the club in April and subsequently retired months later at the age of 35.
Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise.
Dennis Wise decided to call time on his career as a Sky Blue(Image: contrast/Behrendt/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Dennis Wise made his name as a Chelsea icon but also spent a season with Coventry in the 2000s. The midfielder spent 11 years in west London, scoring 73 goals and assisting 48 times.
He won six major honours at Stamford Bridge, including the League Cup and two FA Cups. Wise had also made his debut as a player-manager before joining the Sky Blues as he took over from Harry Redknapp at Southampton.
The midfielder signed a six-month deal with Coventry in the January 2006 window and had a decent goal ratio at the age of 39. He scored six goals in 13 appearances and decided to retire with the club to pursue a career in management.
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