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Sky Blues boss is well down the line in negotiations with one or two new faces
Coventry City are closing in on their first summer signings which manager Tony Mowbray hopes to conclude as soon as possible.
The Sky Blues boss is well down the line in negotiations with striker Marcus Tudgay, who has been offered a year’s extension, and is in daily contact with Reda Johnson who, like fellow defender Chris Stokes, is on holiday.
And he’s also ‘close’ to agreeing terms with one or two new faces as supporters get increasingly impatient for firm news on fresh names that Mowbray believes can take the club forward.
Asked if there is any progress, Mowbray told the Telegraph: “It’s a good question and I think there’s always progress when you’ve had conversations.
“I’d like to think we’re close to concluding one or two but it’s never that easy because there’s always fine detail. You think you’ve done a deal and then there’s always something else that wants adding on.
"You have to get to stage where you say, ‘this is it, there’s no add on here and there,’ and then the agents always want to go away and talk to the player a bit more, so it can drag on.
“That’s why I have said before it’s a very early stage. Sometimes agents take your offer and go to other clubs and say ‘this is what I’ve been offered there, can you beat it?’
“That’s why I am not in any great rush. I understand supporters want to see some signings coming in, just as I do because I am sat here in my office and the board is looking very empty with holes all over the team at the moment. But they’ll fill up, hopefully with the right players.”
Asked about Johnson and Tudgay, he revealed: “Reda’s on holiday in Marbella at the moment and I speak to his advisor almost daily.
“I’d say Marcus is almost done; we’re just about there.
“Chris Stokes is away and I’ve really left that one with Steve Waggott to get on with.”
He added: “I have got no concerns at the moment. I’m not sitting here thinking, ‘oh gosh,’ because we’re just progressing things along.
“It’s not just me doing this. Mark Venus and Steve Waggott are doing certain things and Steve is involved because he's been doing it for a long time.
“As we move forward we’ll take more of that responsibility away from Steve who has a million and one other things to do as well.
"But hopefully together we’ll find the players we need to help us to do better than last season and progress to the top end of the table to see where we go.”
Mowbray is clearly hoping to attract players of at least Championship quality, revealing: “It’s not easy to do because players are, ultimately, looking at their options.
“There are certain players we’re looking at who might be thinking they can play in the Championship and they’re waiting to see if they get an offer, with total respect to us, because the vast majority of Championship clubs can pay their footballers more money than us.
"So they are waiting to see their options and I fully understand that.
“A lot of these guys are men with families, a wife and mortgage and are trying to do the best they can and we are competing in there trying to get the players we like that are in demand.
“But that’s OK. I fully understand that the fans and the club would like some names on the board but I feel quite relaxed about where we are.”
Coventry City are closing in on their first summer signings which manager Tony Mowbray hopes to conclude as soon as possible.
The Sky Blues boss is well down the line in negotiations with striker Marcus Tudgay, who has been offered a year’s extension, and is in daily contact with Reda Johnson who, like fellow defender Chris Stokes, is on holiday.
And he’s also ‘close’ to agreeing terms with one or two new faces as supporters get increasingly impatient for firm news on fresh names that Mowbray believes can take the club forward.
Asked if there is any progress, Mowbray told the Telegraph: “It’s a good question and I think there’s always progress when you’ve had conversations.
“I’d like to think we’re close to concluding one or two but it’s never that easy because there’s always fine detail. You think you’ve done a deal and then there’s always something else that wants adding on.
"You have to get to stage where you say, ‘this is it, there’s no add on here and there,’ and then the agents always want to go away and talk to the player a bit more, so it can drag on.
“That’s why I have said before it’s a very early stage. Sometimes agents take your offer and go to other clubs and say ‘this is what I’ve been offered there, can you beat it?’
“That’s why I am not in any great rush. I understand supporters want to see some signings coming in, just as I do because I am sat here in my office and the board is looking very empty with holes all over the team at the moment. But they’ll fill up, hopefully with the right players.”
Asked about Johnson and Tudgay, he revealed: “Reda’s on holiday in Marbella at the moment and I speak to his advisor almost daily.
“I’d say Marcus is almost done; we’re just about there.
“Chris Stokes is away and I’ve really left that one with Steve Waggott to get on with.”
He added: “I have got no concerns at the moment. I’m not sitting here thinking, ‘oh gosh,’ because we’re just progressing things along.
“It’s not just me doing this. Mark Venus and Steve Waggott are doing certain things and Steve is involved because he's been doing it for a long time.
“As we move forward we’ll take more of that responsibility away from Steve who has a million and one other things to do as well.
"But hopefully together we’ll find the players we need to help us to do better than last season and progress to the top end of the table to see where we go.”
Mowbray is clearly hoping to attract players of at least Championship quality, revealing: “It’s not easy to do because players are, ultimately, looking at their options.
“There are certain players we’re looking at who might be thinking they can play in the Championship and they’re waiting to see if they get an offer, with total respect to us, because the vast majority of Championship clubs can pay their footballers more money than us.
"So they are waiting to see their options and I fully understand that.
“A lot of these guys are men with families, a wife and mortgage and are trying to do the best they can and we are competing in there trying to get the players we like that are in demand.
“But that’s OK. I fully understand that the fans and the club would like some names on the board but I feel quite relaxed about where we are.”
