Coventry City midfielder emerges as Championship Portsmouth target

Danny Cowley sees Coventry’s midfielder as the kind of forward-thinking option he’s desperate to recruit before the close of the transfer window.

And that could lead to the Blues exploring the possibility of a loan move for the 23-year-old with the Sky Blues.

Shipley has found his chances limited so far this term with the Championship outfit, alerting Pompey to the possibility of doing a deal for the classy operator.

The left-footed schemer is exactly the kind of creative option Cowley believes he requires at the front end of the pitch.

Shipley has found his chances limited at the Ricoh Arena so far this term, with his only outing arriving in a 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Northampton.

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He made 29 Championship appearances last season, however, scoring three goals - following on from a seven-goal return as he played a central role in Coventry’s 2019-20 League One title win.

The 6ft man from Leamington Spa has bagged 19 goals in 150 senior appearances, after coming through the ranks at the club he’s spent his career with to date.

Shipley has shown an eye for a spectacular finish in that time, as well as a knack of arriving in the box at the right time to offer goal threat.

With no interest in Pompey’s prized assets currently, Cowley looks set to have to work the loan market to get the options he requires.

He has a number of options open to him on that front, both in terms of young Premier League prospects and Championship players who are on the fringes of their squad.

Shipley undoubtedly falls into the latter category, although it remains to be seen if a deal can be struck over Pompey’s contribution to wages on a contract which runs to next summer.

Players will need to depart to give Cowley the manoeuvrability he believes he need with Callum Johnson’s future up in the air, while Ellis Harrison has been linked with an exit along with other loan departures.

Cowley has so far recruited 12 new faces amid a huge summer overhaul at Fratton Park, with 16 players departing to date.

The head coach is adamant his squad needs as many as three new players before next Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

An attacking midfielder is viewed as a priority along with a striker and a right-sided defender who can play both centrally and at right-back.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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