Brighton reportedly demanded in the region of £12million for goalkeeper Carl Rushworth last summer following Coventry’s hopeful approach.
The 24-year-old has been a standout performer in the Sky Blues’ promotion push this season, keeping a league-high 13 clean sheets in 38 Championship matches and even providing an assist against Middlesbrough.
The former Barcelona transfer target also broke a 91-year record for Coventry by going 613 minutes without conceding a single goal.
Rushworth has struggled for minutes since he joined parent club Brighton in 2019, remaining as either second or third-choice to Mathew Ryan, Robert Sanchez, Jason Steele, and Bart Verburggen, but he now looks ready to be a Premier League No.1.
According to Coventry Live, the Englishman’s performances have seen the Albion’s valuation of the shot-stopper significantly rise to somewhere between £15m and £20m, which is considerably more than the Championship leaders’ £6m offer that they saw rejected over the summer.
Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard has made it no secret that he would be keen to retain the services of Rushworth beyond this season, even touting the loanee to enjoy a long and successful career on the international stage for England.
However, it remains to be seen whether the keeper’s ever-rising valuation will be out of Coventry’s reach, even if they secure promotion.
Rushworth’s price tag could also rise further if interest in Verbruggen remains the subject of interest from Chelsea, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich.
If the Dutchman were to leave Brighton this summer, then it may prompt the Seagulls to rebuff offers for Rushworth and provide him with the chance to assert himself as their new No. 1, rather than signing a replacement.
The former Worthing loanee’s contract with Brighton runs until 2027, with a club option for an extra year, so the coming months will be some of the biggest of his career, both on and off the pitch, after seven years with Brighton and Premier League football beckoning.