Managing Coventry City as Frank Lampard swoops for Premier League trio after £100m boost Coventry City have been promoted to the Premier League and Frank Lampard will be looking to strengthen his squad Comments Sport opinion Abbie Meehan Senior Sports Writer 15:39, 18 Apr 2026 Updated 18:31, 18 Apr 2026 Frank Lampard wants the good times to keep rolling (Image: Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images) Frank Lampard will waste no time turning his attention to transfer targets after guiding Coventry City to Premier League promotion. The Sky Blues drew 1-1 with Blackburn on Friday night, accumulating 86 points and establishing an unassailable lead over their Championship rivals to secure a place in the top flight next season. An 84th-minute equaliser from Bobby Thomas proved enough to make history for Lampard's side, as Coventry celebrated their first season in the top tier in 25 years in memorable fashion. Lampard heaped praise on his squad and admitted the occasion rivals his Champions League triumph with Chelsea . He said: "This is a special night for the football club, which is bigger than all of us. "I'm more emotional than I thought I would be and the final whistle just caught me. It just dawned on me then what this achievement means to our fans. Winning the Champions League with Chelsea was the best night of my life, but this comes very, very close. FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! Get more Coventry City news and analysis via our FB page "The players have got to enjoy tonight and we're off tomorrow. They don't drink as much as we do, but Tuesday and Portsmouth will come very quickly and I don't want any anti-climax. These boys deserve to win this league." Now, Lampard will be reaching for the chequebook and mapping out his first signings as he prepares for the enormous step up to the Premier League. Coventry will pocket £11 million should they clinch the Championship title, with a further £100 million boost simply for competing in the top flight next season. With those figures in mind, here's the latest on who Lampard might bring in to keep his Sky Blues afloat in the Premier League. Coventry City are back in the Premier League The Coventry Telegraph has produced a stunning special edition marking the achievements of Frank Lampard and his men. And to celebrate, the Coventry Telegraph has produced this stunning 48-page special edition marking the achievements of Frank Lampard and his men. Since relegation in 2001, the Sky Blues have gone through many well-documented lows, but a quarter of a century later, free-scoring City have earned promotion in emphatic style. Click here to buy And our bumper special edition is the perfect souvenir to remember that fantastic achievement by. We'll have match reports, pics, and reaction from every kick of City's journey back to English football's promised land. It's all here... the avalanche of goals pre-Christmas that made promotion look nailed on, the brief wobble that followed, and the revival under Lampard to consolidate their position at the top of the table. Plus, Sky Blues writer Andy Turner will have pages and pages of in-depth analysis on the title-winning season, manager Lampard's success, key players, and what lies ahead for the club in the top flight. Club historian Jim Brown will also share his fact-filled take on promotion, while there will be pictures and reports from the Sky Blues' joyful promotion celebrations. Click here to buy First transfer secured Frank Onyeka is set to be the first permanent name in the door (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) Frank Onyeka appears set to become Coventry's first permanent acquisition ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The Brentford midfielder joined on loan towards the end of the January transfer window and has proved pivotal in securing promotion. The temporary arrangement included an obligation to buy should the Sky Blues reach the Premier League. With the step up to the top flight now confirmed, supporters will be anticipating an official announcement regarding the Nigerian international. Although the transfer fee is yet to be disclosed, Transfermarkt values Onyeka at approximately £6 million. Back to Lampard's roots Jesse Derry has attracted plenty of attention (Image: Chelsea Football Club/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) Lampard has been linked with rekindling ties with his former club Chelsea. Blues youngster Jesse Derry has reportedly attracted the attention of the Stamford Bridge legend, with the 47-year-old having "reportedly outlined plans to secure a move" for the player. The 18-year-old predominantly operates on the left flank as a winger but is also capable of featuring as an attacking midfielder. Son of former Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun, the emerging talent has represented England at various youth levels and made his senior Chelsea bow in their 4-0 FA Cup victory over Hull. According to reports, Lampard is interested in securing Derry's services on a season-long loan deal to Coventry. However, with the teenager already making an impression in west London, the Sky Blues manager may need to draw upon his Chelsea connections to get a deal over the line. Addressing the mounting transfer speculation, Lampard said: "But in terms of individual players, I'm not saying all those rumours (about Jesse Derry) are false, but they're definitely not true as a fact. "And that's one of the difficult things now in football, recruitment, because you're as good as it, to a degree, because you need good players. And I think the club has done a really good job in terms of that at where we are in the Championship because you can see where we are in terms of what we spend etc." Double transfer swoop Ross Barkley could be Coventry's answer to a midfield stalwart (Image: Maynard Manyowa/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Dan Neil is another midfield option (Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images) Coventry are monitoring other Premier League talents, including Aston Villa's Ross Barkley and outgoing Sunderland player Dan Neil. Reports suggest Barkley "could find a new home" under Lampard as Villa remain "open to offers" for the 32-year-old. Given his extensive Premier League pedigree, the midfielder could deliver the same impact Granit Xhaka has provided for Sunderland this campaign. In the north east, Neil is due to leave the Black Cats when his contract runs out at the end of the campaign. Coventry are said to be preparing to compete for his services , following his impressive performances during Sunderland's promotion challenge last year. Having made limited appearances under Regis Le Bris this term, Neil moved to Ipswich Town and could secure a return to the Premier League with the Tractor Boys, who currently occupy third. However, Lampard will hope he chooses to join Coventry in the summer, as the club aims to build on its achievements this season. Get the latest Coventry City headlines sent straight to your phone Get the latest Coventry City news sent straight to your phone by joining our Sky Blues WhatsApp group. It's a free service. You just need WhatsApp on your phones to participate. To join, just click here , select 'Join Community' and you're in. If you later decide to leave our community, you can do so by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. 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Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.coventrytelegraph.net