By Paul Jones
Swansea City captain Matt Grimes is reportedly due to have a medical at Coventry City on Thursday, with a view to completing a move suggested to be worth £3m to £4m.
The switch will be a huge blow to Swans supporters and further evidence the January transfer window is like kryptonite to the club every year – draining their strength and self-belief.
Grimes is not just the club’s best player, he is also their most influential and consistent performer and the one individual around which almost their entire style of play is structured.
But the clubs are said to have reached a full agreement on a transfer fee for the 29-year-old.
Grimes has been the cornerstone of Swansea’s squad for nearly a decade, but is understood to have finalised personal terms with the Sky Blues, marking the first major signing of Frank Lampard’s tenure at Coventry.
Matt Grimes this season: (Championship rank)
▪️Touches: 2887 (1st)
▪️Touches in the middle third: 1765 (1st)
▪️Carrying distance: 8855 yards (1st)
▪️Carries: 1818 (1st)
▪️Passes received: 2176 (1st)
▪️Passes completed: 2349 (1st)
▪️Passes into the final third: 248 (1st) pic.twitter.com/ZNLOBf6u9I— JLA (@JLA_FC) January 29, 2025
Grimes, who signed a new contract with the Swans as recently as last August, has been a consistent presence, making 333 appearances and netting 16 goals since his arrival from Exeter City in 2014.
This season, he has been ever-present under head coach Luke Williams, starting all 32 matches across all competitions.
For Swansea supporters, the departure of their highest-paid player and club captain increases the urgency to secure reinforcements before the transfer window closes and will prompt further fears of a looming battle to avoid relegation to League One.
However, with Coventry actively seeking to bolster their midfield, Grimes has expressed his desire to make the switch to the CBS Arena, prompting Swansea to greenlight the move.
The deal, reportedly worth up to £4 million including add-ons, represents a significant coup for Coventry as they aim to climb the Championship table.
Currently sitting 12th, four points ahead of Swansea, the Sky Blues have been in strong form, winning three consecutive league games. Grimes’ arrival is expected to further strengthen their push for a playoff spot.
Grimes bid an emotional farewell to his Swansea teammates at the club’s training ground on Tuesday, with the transfer expected to be finalised later this week.
However, it remains uncertain whether he will be registered in time to face his former club when Coventry travel to Swansea for a league clash on Saturday.
The move underscores Coventry’s ambition under Lampard, who has identified Grimes as a key target to enhance his squad’s depth and quality.
Grimes’ consistent performances since Swansea’s relegation from the Premier League in 2018 have made him a fan favorite, but his decision to seek a new challenge signals a turning point for both clubs as they navigate the second half of the Championship season.
If we were to put ourselves in Matty’s position, I guess the marjority of us would make the move. With the continual vortex of an environment within the Swans over the recent years, any player worth his salt or has an ounce of ambition would look for the exit door. With ten years under his belt, he needs a new challenge, the sad thing for us as fans is that we are loosing someone to moan about. Matt being not everyone’s cup of tea and on so many occassions I have screamed at the TV when every touch from him is either sideways or backwards.
We need to remember Matt is a person, he has feelings and does not deserve the abuse a small element of our fan base are giving him. We wish you well Mr Grimes, thank you for your time and I am sure without the attack numbing tactics imposed on you to retain the ball at all cost, you would have been a much better player, hopefully shackles free at Coventry you will demonstrate and reach your true potential – good luck, don’t look back as the the marmite style of football Swansea management are surving up is not to everyone’s taste – it is time to strip down and rebuild for the Swans. The owners I feel need to really get behind Luke (LW) not sack him or we will spiral downwards again. Instead of paying him off, why not support him with an advisory ‘old head’, someone who has the experience and knowledge he can bounce his thoughts and ideas with. This constant changes in management will do nothing but devalue our once tag of a ‘model club’. Once other clubs would look at Swansea to emilate our successful, today they look at our many mistakes they wish to avoid.