Free transfers in the EFL

The EFL regular season has now concluded with managers turning their attention to recruitment.

For teams in the lower end of the Football League the retained lists provide a host of possibilities to strengthen in the free transfer market.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins has drafted in numerous free agents in recent seasons and has already kicked off his latest recruitment campaign by snapping up Burton Albion defender Kyle McFadzean .

And more are expected to follow.

With the action over for the season, aside from the play-offs, teams have started to reveal their retained lists for the next campaign.

Included are some familiar names to Sky Blues fans, not least former City defender Martin Cranie who is deemed surplus to requirement after helping Sheffield United gain promotion to the Premier League.

Another former Coventry player who is available at Bramall Lane, albeit on the transfer list rather than released, is one-time favourite Leon Clarke.

Former Sky Blues striker Leon Clarke is available for transfer

The striker, now 34, ended the season on loan at Wigan Athletic and is clearly no longer needed by the Blades whose successful side this season included more former Sky Blues in John Fleck, David McGoldrick and Oliver Norwood - all three of whom are being retained by manager Chris Wilder for next season's return to the Premier League.

Elsewhere Ruben Lameiras, who, you may recall, Robins released in 2017 is out of contract at relegated Plymouth where he has been offered fresh terms but yet to commit himself to a third season at Home Park after a fine campaign in which he scored 12 goals, including two against City.

His Pilgrims' team-mate Graham Carey is in the same boat and already been linked with interest from Coventry.

Here are all the players who will be free agents this summer - this will be updated throughout the summer.

Will Mark Robins be tempted by any?

See the full list here:

Yet another Sky Blues man linked

Jack Grimmer is the latest Coventry City player to be linked with a move to League One rivals Bristol Rovers.

A Sky Blues fans' favourite from the club's League Two promotion campaign, the right-back is looking for a new club after being released by manager Mark Robins .

The 25-year-old, who will officially end his two year deal at the Ricoh Arena next month, is available on a free transfer.

Only yesterday (Tues) Grimmer's close friend and team-mate Tom Davies , who is also being let go by Robins this summer, was linked with a move to the Memorial Stadium where Gas boss Graham Coughlan is looking to strengthen his back four.

City favourite Jack Grimmer is the latest Sky Blues player to be linked with Bristol Rovers

Coughlan is actively looking for a right-back and centre-half, and the outgoing Sky Blue pair could well fit the bill for the Rovers' manager who already has two former City players on his books, having signed striker Jonson Clarke-Harris and midfielder Abu Ogogo in the January transfer window.

Former Sky Blues head of recruitment, Tommy Widdrington, who identified Grimmer and Davies when he was working for Coventry, is now in charge of recruitment at the Memorial Ground.

Grimmer established himself as a firm favourite in 2017/18 when he helped the  Sky Blues  get to the play-offs, climaxing with a goal in the 3-1 Wembley final win over Exeter City.

But although a virtual ever present, the full-back figured in just 11 League One games this season after finding himself playing second fiddle to Chelsea loan star Dujon Sterling , drafted in last summer when it quickly became clear he was Robins’s first choice in the position.

'You're fired!'

Former Coventry City boss Chris Coleman has been sacked as head coach of Hebei China Fortune.

Coleman, who led Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, becomes the first coach to be fired in the 2019 campaign in China with Hebei languishing in the Chinese Super League relegation zone after picking up just one win so far this season.

The 48-year-old leaves the role less than a year after being appointed to replace Manuel Pellegrini, who departed to take over at West Ham United, but the former Sky Blues , Sunderland and Fulham manager has struggled since his arrival in China.

The club confirmed Coleman's departure in a social media post.

It stated: "After friendly negotiation and agreement reached between the two parties, with immediate effect, Mr Chris Coleman will no longer serve as head coach."

Former Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman has been sacked again

As they lost 3-2 at home to mid-table Henan Jianye on Saturday, disaffected fans held up a banner which read: "Hello Mr. Coleman, please go home! You're fired!!!" and in Chinese said: "Coleman, your mum wants you home for dinner."

Coleman has two seasons at the Ricoh Arena between 2008/10.

He was appointed by then chairman Ray Ranson to replace Iain Dowie shortly after leading a takeover of the club by Sisu.

But Coleman was sacked in May 2010 following Coventry's 19th-place finish, their lowest league finish in more than 45 years.

New coach appointed

Coventry City have appointed Steve Ogrizovic's replacement.

The Sky Blues have secured the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers' Under-23s development coach Aled Williams who has been appointed as the club's new Head of Goalkeeping.

The 35-year-old Welshman joins the Sky Blues from the Premier League club, where he has been for the last four years.

A graduate of The University of Wales with a Bsc in Sports Coaching and a talented goalkeeper, Aled began his professional coaching career at Cardiff City.

In 2009 Aled moved to The New York Red Bulls as Head of Goalkeeping for the Youth Department and goalkeeper coach for the academy and Under 23 team.

Aled Williams is the man replacing Oggy

He then returned back to his hometown club Cardiff in 2013, before joining Wolves in 2015.

While at Wolves Williams also coached at AFC Telford and with Wales Under 17s before dedicating himself fully to the Molineux side from last summer.

Manager Mark Robins said: “We’re very pleased to welcome Aled as our new Head of Goalkeeping.

“Aled is an extremely talented young coach, who brings with him both domestic and international experience and will be a great asset for the club and its goalkeepers.

“We look forward to welcoming Aled to the team at the start of the 2019/20 season.”

As it stands, of course, Williams only has one full-time keeper to work with in Corey Addai after first choice Lee Burge and understudy Liam O'Brien have been released by the club.

Robins is understood to be looking for two new senior keepers to compete for the No.1 spot next season, with Addai likely to go out on loan to gain first team experience.

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