Source: FOOTYMAD
King's agent say no firm offer, but deal imminent
Finnegan optimistic over King's Coventry future While Coventry City Football Club take their time trying to decide who to appoint as their next manager, the players who are out of contract in the summer remain uncertain whether they will be offered new deals or if they will have to start looking for new clubs. Leading goal scorer Marlon King is one of those players waiting to hear if he will be offered an extension to his one year contract, but his agent Tony Finnigan has confirmed that King has not been offered a deal in writing, but that one is imminent. King has nine weeks left on his Coventry City contract and if an offer is not forthcoming from the club, Finnigan will have little option other than to start speaking to other clubs about a deal for his client. With several key first team players out of contract in the summer, Saturday's home game with reading could be the fans last opportunity to see Westwood, King and Gunnarsson play in a City shirt. Whoever takes over the manager's job will have a few days to speak to the players who can leave the club on Bosman free transfers in the summer to try and persuade them to stay. The club would not get a penny for either King or Westwood, but as Gunnarsson is under 24, the club would be entitled to compensation. Speaking to the CT, Marlon King's agent Tony Finnigan revealed, “I can confirm that Marlon hasn’t had a firm offer in writing yet but I am told a deal is imminent. He wants to know and sooner rather than later because his contract runs out on the 30th of June when he will be unemployed." "It is my responsibility to find him employment and, as we speak, I am actively seeking another club for Marlon, but I am told Coventry are working on it and I am optimistic they will come to us by the end of the week. The guy has done an excellent job for the club, done the business on the field and he will guarantee them 20 goals in a full season."“Coventry have got some good players there and Andy Thorn is doing a great job in getting them playing and has proved what the squad is capable of. And in Marlon King Coventry have got one hell of a player but we need to see something.” It is the quality and recent strike rate of six goals in four games that has alerted a host of other clubs of the ability of King and they are circling The Ricoh like a pack of vultures. Cardiff, Leicester and at least one unnamed Premier League club are all being linked with King Leicester are also being heavily linked with out of contract goal keeper Kieren Westwood as their manager Sven Goran Eriksson as a quality 'keeper high up on his wants list. The appointment of the new manager must be completed as soon as possible if the club are serious in their promotion challenge as the new man in charge must have time to speak to the players who will leave the club if they are not going to be offered any sort of deal. Andy Thorn has done a fine job of turning the fortunes of a side demoralised and lacking in confidence into a competitive side capable of playing attractive attacking football. He has won the confidence and backing of all of the players and if any manager is capable of persuading at least some of the soon to be out of contract players to stay at Coventry City, it would be Andy Thorn.
