KAINE IS ABLE AS SKY BLUES 'LEAD RACE FOR ACE'. FULL-BACK LINKED WITH PS5m MOVE TO CITY AS HEAD COACH HUNTS FOR MILAN BACK-UP.

Byline: ANDY TURNER Sky Blues Reporter

COVENTRY City are "leading the race" to sign Aston Villa full-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden, it has been claimed.

The Sky Blues made do with just one recognised specialist right-back, Milan van Ewijk, last season.

The position remains a priority for Frank Lampard to add competition and back-up for the Dutch defender who has been virtually ever present over the course of the 2024/25 campaign.

He sat out just once due to injury, playing 51 games in total in all competitions.

According to The Sun's transfer specialist Alan Nixon, the Championship He club are "willing to appearances pay PS5 million plus extras" for in all the villa academy showing product who spent consistency last season." out on durability loan at league rivals Preston North End.

The 22-year-old featured in all but two of North End's league games this season, making 41 starts and three showings from the bench in the division, while scoring two goals.

He made 51 appearances in total in all competitions, showing competitions, his consistency his and durability and during his time at Deepdale.

He played against the Sky Blues in both last October's 1-0 victory by the Lilywhites in Lancashire and the 2-1 City win at the CBS Arena in February. Kesler-Hayden also swept the board at North End's end of season awards ceremony, claiming the Tom Finney award - as voted for by the club's supporters - plus the young player of the year and the supporters' player of the year gongs.

The report claims that Villa "will sell" Kesler-Hayden as Unai Emery looks to "trim their squad," and adds that the player "knows his time at his first club is nearing an end".

A former youth team skipper at Villa, Kesler-Hayden has been on loan five times - also having had spells in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle when he made 24 appearances in 2023/24, while aslo playing 14 league games for Huddersfield the season before in the same teams as current Coventry star Jack Rudoni.

Prior to that he had half season loans at MK Dons in League one and Swindon Town in League two as he started on his development journey of playing regular first team football over the last four seasons.

In terms of his parent club, he's managed four first-team appearances for Villa to date - three coming in the Premier League and one in the Europa League - all late cameo appearances off the bench.

total in all ing 41 ings He made 51 appearances in total in all competitions, showing his consistency and durability at Deepdale.

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Kaine KeslerHayden swept the board at Preston's awards ceremony

Milan van Ewijk