“I cannot believe this” – EFL Pundit reacts to Matt Grimes news involving Swansea City and Coventry City

Ali Maxwell of the Not The Top 20 podcast has written a damning critique of Swansea City and their ownership following the transfer of Matt Grimes to Coventry City.

Coventry’s pursuit of Grimes was initially reported by BBC Sport Wales, with Tom Coleman of Wales Online confirming a potential move to the CBS Arena after a decade of service for the Welsh club.

Swansea are seeking at least £3.5 million from Coventry to sign Grimes, according to Football League World. Wales Online reports that a price has been agreed in the region.

According to the most recent reports, the fee will likely range between £3.5 million and £4 million. Grimes has played his final 333 games for the Swans, who are presently 17th in the Championship league, four points behind Lampard’s side as both aim to reach the play-offs by May.

Grimes will have a medical on Thursday, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke. Swansea has confirmed Grimes’ wish to pursue a new challenge by joining another Championship club.

Ali Maxwell’s verdict on the Matt Grimes situation at Swansea City

Ali Maxwell of Not The Top 20 podcast discussed on their midweek show, ‘Under The Lights’. According to EFL Pundit, Matt Grimes is poised to leave. I can’t believe this. I cannot believe Matt Grimes is being sold.

“This is due to his role as the team’s leader. That cannot last forever, and Swansea must plan for life beyond Grimes. I can’t believe that with the scenario they’re in right now, with the audience so dissatisfied with the ownership in particular, with their stock at an all-time low, and Luke Williams’ stock appearing to be extremely low among the fanbase.

“You may dispute the worth of selling your captain, leader, legend, and finest player for £3 million to 3.5 million, but Grimes’ value to Swansea supporters is considerably greater. It is not a fee that alters the club’s trajectory in terms of what it can achieve in the transfer market.

“Frankly, if it did, their recruitment over the last 18 months has been fairly bad. There are very few success stories to point to. Even if they did get £5 million for him, do you think they’d be able to utilise it to sign two or three truly good players who could have an impact similar to Matt Grimes’? Absolutely not.

“But it’s also ridiculous for the owners to do this. The relationship between fans and an ownership group is critical in maintaining a positive atmosphere surrounding the club, which can aid with performance and success on the pitch.

“If you’re already at a stage where approval is very, very low, why on earth would you make this decision to allow a departure of a player like this? To a rival in the same division quite close in the league table; I can’t believe it. I could talk about it for hours, to be honest.

Matt Grimes is an excellent addition for Coventry City

The flip side of this debate is that Coventry are bringing in an excellent player in Grimes, who has established himself as one of the league’s top central midfielders and ball progressors during the last half-decade in the second division.

There may be little resale value, but the calm, composed, and polished midfielder will improve the technical level of the midfield at CBS Arena. With Swansea, he demonstrated metronomic passing and a wide range of passes, allowing him to control games.

Of course, Coventry’s engine room already has plenty of quality, but it lacks Grimes’ skill level and passing ability. He hopes to boost his new teammates and propel them into the playoff picture. Grimes could and should work well alongside Jack Rudoni, Ben Sheaf, Victor Torp, and Josh Eccles.

His leadership, endurance, availability, and experience will be vital in Coventry’s pursuit of a playoff spot under Frank Lampard.