O’Hare’s performances and current situation has attracted numerous suitors
It’s safe to argue that Callum O’Hare is among the top attacking midfielders in the Championship right now.
The 25-year-old, known to Sky Blues fans as “Solihull Messi,” has been a major contributor to the team’s comeback from an early-season slump that saw them drop as low as 20th place after 15 games to a chance to make the playoffs for a second straight year.
Despite only playing again in late October, the playmaker has contributed greatly this season after missing a significant amount of time due to a catastrophic knee injury he suffered on Boxing Day 2022 against Sheffield United.
So far in Callum O’Hare’s 2023–2024 season
O’Hare has made 20 league appearances for Mark Robins this season, starting 14 of them, after making his debut in a loss to Rotherham United in the season’s opening game.
On December 8, in a 2-0 victory over West Midlands rival Birmingham City, the former Aston Villa academy product scored both goals in a display that amply demonstrated his skills for those who needed reminding.
O’Hare also averaged a goal contribution every two games during the next eight games in all competitions. These games included two more goals in the M69 Derby against league leaders Leicester City, when the Sky Blues won 3-1 thanks to a thrilling second-half comeback.
| Callum O’Hare’s Coventry City Championship Stats – 2023-24 | |
|---|---|
| Matches Played | 21 |
| Matches Started | 14 |
| Goals | 6 |
| xG | 3.34 |
| Assists | 3 |
| xA | 1.82 |
| Shots on Target per Game | 0.7 |
| Key Passes per Game | 1.5 |
| Big Chances Created | 4 |
| Passing Accuracy (%) per Game | 86 |
| Ground Duels Won per Game | 3.3 |
| Touches per Game | 46.8 |
| Average Rating | 7.17 |
| All stats as per Sofascore (Correct as of March 4, 2024) | |
Even though he’s only scored one more of his six Championship goals and provided two assists since then, his overall play has remained incredibly steady; in fact, his average rating has only fallen below 7.0 in one of the team’s previous five league games, a 3-0 loss to Preston on February 23.
O’Hare remarks from Robins may open the door for a move to Celtic, Rangers, or Everton.
O’Hare’s ability to perform at a higher level is demonstrated by the data above, and considering the attention that has been shown in him both recently and in the past, that should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed his and Coventry’s steady ascent in recent years.
In the most recent January window, bids were reportedly made by Leicester City, Southampton, and Burnley, among others.
Links with SPFL heavyweights Rangers and Celtic, as well as reports that scouts from three unidentified La Liga teams sent scouts on scouting missions during Friday night’s 2-1 loss at West Brom, could turn heads even more.
In addition, a recent story from The Sun claims that O’Hare has been observed by Everton and Fulham in the Premier League, which might offer him a strong route into the league.
It is not surprising that Mark Robins and Doug King are exerting every effort to secure a long-term deal for the midfield player at the CBS Arena, even though Robins’ remarks have undoubtedly caused some supporters to worry about his future.
Robins stated in February to CoventryLive, “I think everyone will have figured out by now that Callum wants to keep his options open, and that’s his prerogative.”
“He wants to keep his options open to see if there are Premier League clubs wanting to sign him; whether we get into the Premier League and then we become an option, or become an option anyway.” We have offered him a contract, and a good one at that.
The remarks made by Robins will give teams like Everton and Fulham optimism that they may sign a contract for the small midfield player this summer. However, you cannot rule out the Glasgow teams, Celtic and Rangers, because they are frequently involved in European competition.
The Sakamoto injury may have a significant impact on Callum O’Hare’s career at Coventry City.
Following Robins’ revelations on February 22, when City was only three points behind Hull in the final play-off spot, two disappointing losses to Preston North End and West Brom, along with the season-ending injury to the equally influential Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, have seriously jeopardised City’s chances of earning promotion again through the play-offs.
It’s a huge loss for all parties because the Japanese winger scored all nine of his goals after November 25. He also developed with the squad as the season went on after securing a starting spot.
Because they no longer have any choices for wingers, Coventry has recently gone back to using a back three configuration. This formation gave them a lot of trouble in the early part of the season, which is why Robins changed to a four at the back.
And it seems inevitable that O’Hare will be playing in a top domestic level come summer if the Sky Blues are unable to find their form, which begins on Tuesday night against Rotherham, the team at the bottom of the league. This is especially likely if contract negotiations come to a standstill.
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