The saga surrounding Coventry City goalkeeper Kieren Westwood continues unabated with the club and which is looking increasing likely to allow the 26 year old Irish international 'keeper to leave during the January transfer window if an acceptable offer is received.
City boss Aidy Boothroyd had insisted before Christmas that he would sooner let Westwood go for nothing in the summer than lose him mid season, but that stance now appears to have changed. Whether the change of mind has anything to do with the current league position, with a play off place looking less likely now than it was when Boothroyd made his comments, is uncertain.
Coventry City have not conceded defeat in the battle for a top six finish, but 2 points in seven games has seen City slip from fifth to 14th place in the Championship have made the job that bit harder.So tight is the Championship this season that a good run could easily see them rise up the table quickly.
However the club appear now to think a cash injection from the sale of Westwood in the January transfer window is a more attractive proposition than letting him leave for nothing in the summer when his contract expires.
Westwood was in fine form in front of the cameras at QPR last Sunday and earned praise form QPR manager Neil Warnock who claimed he was "head and shoulders" above many current Premier League keepers. To paraphrase the immortal Brian Clough, Westwood might not be the best goalkeeper in the Championship, but he is certainly in the top one.
Coventry City chairman Ray Ranson confirmed last week there had been interest from four Premiership clubs, but then there had been no offers and he denied that Wigan had tabled a £1m bid and that the club had put a £2m price tag on Westwood.
Ranson said, "We have had a number of Premier League clubs show an interest in him," he added, " We have not put a price on his head and in the two and a half years he's been at the club we have never quoted a price to anyone."
All of the speculation surrounding Westwood can only enhance Coventry City's chances of getting a better price for Westwood as with at least four interested club a bidding war can only push the price upward.
What is becoming clear is that the club will not stand in Westwood's way if an acceptable offer to both club and player is received, but what is unclear is what the player himself wants. He has constantly refused to sign the lucrative new deal that Coventry City have offered him.
He does want to enhance his international career and the best way to do this would be to play in the Premier League, or possible the Scottish premier League with one of the Glasgow clubs and Celtic were one of the club keeping an eye on him. Everton, Spurs, Sunderland and Wigan have all expressed an interest with Wigan making all of the headlines at the moment.
If Westwood wants to promote his international career in the Premiership, then a move to Wigan would be seen as a huge gamble as they are currently struggling to maintain their Premier league status and could well be playing in the Championship next season.
What of Coventry City if they lose their hugely talented goalkeeper? they would need to replace him immediately as the current understudy Danny Ireland is not seen as a Championship quality 'keeper yet and the only other 'keeper on the City books is the teenager Michael Quirke.
Coventry did make use of two loan goalkeepers at the start of the season, Everton's Iain Turner and Birmingham's Colin Doyle. It is believed that Coventry have contingency plans in place should Westwood leave in January and that one of these two 'keepers would be brought in until the end of the season.
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