Ethan Pinnock (right) is a target for Coventry City.
Ethan Pinnock (right) is a target for Coventry City.
Coventry City's pursuit of highly-rated Manchester City youngster Stephen Mfuni is said to have collapsed - potentially alerting Derby County. Mfuni appeared set for the CBS Arena following an impressive loan spell at Watford during the latter half of last season.
However, the transfer will not materialise, with the Sky Blues now focusing on Brentford's Ethan Pinnock because of a desire to add more Premier League experience to the squad.
This leaves Mfuni searching for a new club to further his career, with Watford and Derby amongst those interested, according to TalkSport. Derby are dealing with the blow that Matt Clarke faces three months on the sidelines due to a calf injury, leaving Sondre Langas and Dion Sanderson as options.
Mfuni operates as a left-sided centre-back and could fill Clarke's position, while having previously worked with former Manchester City EDS coach Ben Wilkinson, who now forms part of Derby's coaching team. The defender is well regarded by City and featured on the substitutes' bench in several Champions League fixtures before joining Watford, where he caught the eye for the Hornets.
Watford have expressed their desire to bring him back, with sporting director Luke Dowling confirming that discussions were taking place with City regarding the teenager earlier this summer.
Dowling said: "Everyone who watched Watford play last year in the games when Mfuni, especially, played, it wouldn't surprise me, with Man City losing Nathan Ake this year, if they kept him around. He's left-footed like Ake, he can play left-back, he can play left centre-half, so that wouldn't surprise me at all.
"However, the club are in contact with Man City regularly...so just wait and see. It's unfortunate with loans like that because we're never in control with them as they are not our players."
Pinnock, meanwhile, has entered the final year of his contract in west London, which runs to 2027, and did not play in their season-opening win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
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Pinnock joined Brentford from Barnsley in 2019 and has gone on to make 216 appearances, providing 12 goals and seven assists, while playing a key role in their 2020-21 promotion campaign from the Championship.
In recent seasons he has lost his place in the starting XI, however, not coming off the bench for the final eight Premier League games of the 2024-25 season and featuring in only eight matches last term, four of which came in the league.
Pinnock has made 28 senior international appearances for Jamaica, playing every minute of their World Cup qualification play-offs as they won against New Caledonia before being beaten by the Democratic Republic of Congo after extra time in the final.