Coventry City have made goalkeeper Carl Rushworth a permanent member of their squad, agreeing a club-record £22.5m transfer from Brighton & Hove Albion as Frank Lampard continues building his squad for the club's long-awaited return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.
The 25-year-old shot-stopper spent last season on loan at Coventry, where he proved instrumental in the club's title-winning promotion campaign. Rushworth started all 46 Championship matches and claimed the Golden Glove award after keeping 17 clean sheets throughout the campaign.
Lampard was quick to praise the goalkeeper following confirmation of the deal. "It's great to have Carl back with us on a permanent basis," the Coventry manager said. "He's a top professional, a great character and he had a huge impact on the team to help us get promoted last season. I'm looking forward to working with him again and welcoming him back into the group."
Rushworth's journey to Coventry has taken him through several loan spells since joining Brighton from non-league side Halifax in 2019. Despite never making a senior appearance for the Seagulls, he gained valuable experience during stints at Walsall, Lincoln City, Swansea and Hull before his breakthrough campaign at Coventry last season. The goalkeeper is understood to be highly regarded by both the Football Association and within England's national team setup.
Brighton's sporting director, Mike Cave, acknowledged the club's reluctance to part with Rushworth but respected his desire for regular top-flight football. "While we would have liked to keep Carl with the club for longer, we respect his decision to secure regular first-team football in the Premier League," Cave said. As part of the agreement, Brighton have reportedly secured both a sell-on clause and a buyback option, with the deal's total value potentially reaching £30m including add-ons.
The Rushworth transfer marks Coventry's fourth signing of the summer as the Sky Blues prepare for life back in English football's top tier. It also represents the second time this transfer window that the club has broken its own transfer record. Last month, Coventry paid Eintracht Frankfurt £17m to secure Switzerland international defender Aurèle Amenda, eclipsing their previous record outlay of £7.7m paid to Antalyaspor for striker Haji Wright in 2023. The club have also added midfielder Loum Tchouna and Frank Onyeka to their ranks this summer.
Lampard's side will kick off their Premier League campaign away at Arsenal on 21 August, a fixture that will provide an early test of how well the newly assembled squad can compete at the highest level after such a lengthy absence from the top flight.
In other Premier League news, Aston Villa have received a boost after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the club's appeal to register 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo. Born in London but raised in Luxembourg, Madjo joined Villa from Metz in January but had been unable to play due to FIFA regulations governing international transfers involving minors. The young forward, who has scored four goals during pre-season, is now cleared to feature for the club moving forward.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.