Kaine Kesler-Hayden spent last season on loan at Deepdale and won Player of the Year
Coventry City are reportedly targeting a permanent move for Kaine Kesler-Hayden, following his loan spell at Preston North End.
The Aston Villa man made 51 appearances - the most in PNE’s squad - last season and scored two goals, while providing three assists. He starred at wing-back for Paul Heckingbottom’s side and won all three Player of the Year awards. It was Kesler-Hayden’s fifth loan move away from Villa Park, having previously spent time at Swindon, MK Dons, Huddersfield and Plymouth.
He endeared himself to the North End faithful and spoke highly of his time in Lancashire, but looks set to be the next loan star who is too tough to bring back. Preston CEO Peter Ridsdale recently explained his understanding that Villa plan to sell Kesler-Hayden for a ‘very big transfer fee’. Prior to joining PNE, the 22-year-old signed a new contract with the Premier League club.
According to a reportfrom journalist Alan Nixon, though, Villa are ready to cash in this summer. Kesler-Hayden is claimed to know ‘his time at his first club is nearing an end’ and it’s believed there have been several enquiries about him already. But it’s the Sky Blues who are suggested to be ‘leading the race’ for his signature, with Coventry prepared to pay £5milion plus extras.
Frank Lampard’s side were beaten in the last seconds of their play-off semi-final against Sunderland last week. With it their second play-off campaign in three years the club will be looking to go one better in 2025/26, having surged up the table since Lampard’s appointment last season. Coventry raised sizable funds through the sales of Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres, in the summer of 2023.
They have invested that back into the playing squad with seven-figure acquisitions of Haji Wright, Ellis Simms, Ephron Mason-Clark, Milan van Ewijk, Liam Kitching, Bobby Thomas, Victor Torp, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Norman Bassette, Oliver Dovin, Luis Binks, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Jack Rudoni and most recently, Matt Grimes.
“It’s just up to them on my future and what that holds.”
Speaking about next season, in early May, Kesler-Hayden told the Lancashire Post: “I think it depends... if I was coming to the end of my contract there, then I'd probably have more say. But the reality is I'm not. So while you're in the contract, obviously there's not too much that I can do and it's just up to them on my future and what that holds... we'll see."
He also told BBC Lancashire: “You have an end of season review. I'm sure there will be conversations to be had there. Until then, I won't know anything. It doesn't really matter what my say is at the moment, but obviously I love the club and I've loved my time here. Why not? I'd love to play for this club again. It's a really great club and hopefully we can get it on to bigger and better. This club will go on to bigger and better, but until I've had those conversations, we won't know.”
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