According to reports in todays Mirror Football, striker Marlon King is set to sign a three year deal with Coventry City.
Whichever club King goes to, his signing will be a cause for controversy following his string of convictions culminating in an 18 month sentence for sexual assault in 2008, even if the 30 year old has vowed to clear his name.
The club that does sign King will be getting an experienced striker of proven ability, one certainly more than capable of performing well at Championship level. Furthermore, they will be getting a player rated as worth around £5m for nothing as he was sacked by his former club Wigan and therefore available on a Bosman free transfer.
The other side of the coin though is less clear cut. What effect will the arrival of King have on the club? Will attendances be cut as a protest or will they rise because of the possibility of seeing many more goals scored? How will the current squad react or cope with the introduction of such a controversial figure to their midst and will it have a negative, positive or neutral impact on morale and confidence?
Whoever signs King will be taking a gamble, but at Coventry City there is Aidy Boothroyd who has worked well with King in the past. The two get on well together and King can depend on the support of Boothroyd.
King's agent Tony Finnigan said, "Marlon and Aidy had a very special relationship and that's the biggest factor. Watford was a wonderful period and I'm sure he'd love to rekindle that again."
Mirror Football is reporting the deal to be worth around £10,000 a week plus bonuses which, if true, will make him the club's highest paid player.
However some sources close to the club believe that there is a reluctance among the City board to make King the highest earner and that King will have to accept a deal in keeping with the wages policy of the club of around £6,000 a week.