O’Hare leaving wouldn’t be as impactful as the summer departures
This lack of success can certainly be attributed to them losing their two best attacking players in the summer. Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer, who combined beautifully at Wembley, in May, to get Coventry level with Luton Town in the playoff final, both departed the Coventry Building Society Arena.
According to the BBC, the Swedish striker signed a contract worth up to £20 million with Sporting Lisbon. Their previous record-breaking sale was easily beaten by this, knocking Robbie Keane’s £13 million move to Inter Milan off the top spot. A month or so later, in mid-August, The Athletic reports that Hamer broke Keane’s record once more when he paid £15 million to join Sheffield United, a freshly promoted Premier League team.
Thus, two of the top players from the 2022–2023 campaign were gone, but Callum O’Hare, who had been a successful member of the team prior to suffering a devastating cruciate ligament injury on Boxing Day of last year against Hamer’s new club, was back for City supporters to look forward to.
He eventually made his return to first team action, coming off the bench with 15 minutes left against Rotherham United. He’s been out of action for almost exactly 10 months, and it will take time for him to get fully up to speed. But a serious injury like that is always a concern for player and club, and both will be considering their options.
Callum O’Hare’s return to the Coventry squad
Coventry should consider parting ways with Callum O’Hare
The 25-year-old’s contract with the club expires in the summer. There’s a risk that if he is still with the club come the end of the January window that he could leave for free.
Given how long he’s been out, Coventry have had to find ways to cope without him. Even though this year’s performances haven’t been brilliant, the likes of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto have plugged that gap in the squad.
Of course, there will be a lot of sentimentality in the fan base; he has been a brilliant player for them, when fit. But a potential exit, whether they get compensated for it or not, shouldn’t be compared to the losses of Gyokeres and Hamer.
Losing O’Hare obviously raises the possibility that he finds another place to play and repeats his performance from a few seasons ago. Since he doesn’t rely on extraordinary athleticism, he may be able to reverse the ageing process if he returns to optimal health. This may seem strange given that he is just in his mid-20s.
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