FOOTBALL – Coventry City academy players sign first professional contracts with club

A TOTAL of six Coventry City academy players have signed their first professional contracts with the Sky Blues.

The six academy graduates will link up with the club’s under-21 side for the 2025/26 season.

Conrad Ambursley, Joshua Gordon, Jack James, David Mantle, Joseph McCallum and MacKenzie Stretton are the latest players to come through the club’s academy.

Ambursley joined City as an under-16 player from Charlton Athletic and has trained with the under-21s for the past two seasons.

The winger scored nine goals in 27 appearances for Coventry’s under-18s last season.

Gordon also joined the club as an under-16 player.

The defender predominantly plays at centre-back and featured for the both the under-21s and under-18s last term.

James joined the club’s academy at under-10 level and was previously involved with Sky Blues in the Community.

 

He converted from a wide role to central midfield last season and scored two goals in 27 appearances for the under-18s.

Mantle joined City from Wycombe Wanderers as an under-15.

The centre-back made 25 appearances at the heart of City’s defence for the under-18s last campaign.

McCallum arrived at the Sky Blues towards the end of the under-16 age group.

The creative midfielder played for both the under-21s and under-18s last season.

Stretton has spent a decade in the club’s academy.

The versatile player, who predominantly plays in central midfield, has featured in a number of different positions for the Sky Blues during his time in the academy.

Latest Coventry City news as Championship rivals Hull City join Sheffield Wednesday in being subject to transfer embargo

Hull City have been slapped with a transfer embargo that will prevent them from paying any fee for a player until January 2027.

The club – Coventry City’s opponents when the new Championship season begins on August 9 – have been punished by the EFL amid mounting concerns over their finances after they were late with payments for the loan of Aston Villa winger Louie Barry back in January.

Plenty of other Championship clubs had been keen on the player too, but backed away from a deal because of the cost – said to be a £1m loan fee plus the player’s wage of around £25,000-a-week.

There are conflicting reports over whether Hull have now paid Villa what they were owed, but the Football League remains unhappy with the delay and the Tigers have now been hit with an embargo.

It is a similar situation at Sheffield Wednesday, where failure to pay players and staff has sparked action by the EFL.

An appeal over embargoes can be lodged, and Hull are confident it is one they can win, but there are further concerns over their outstanding debts to other creditors, as well as other clubs yet to be paid for previous transfers.

Hull, who are at the CBS Arena for a 12.30pm kick-off, will still be able to sign players on free transfers, but the situation has only served to heighten anxiety around the club’s financial position after they posted losses of £60m in their last set of accounts.

The Tigers have been big spenders in the division since Acun Ilicali bought the club three years ago, but it has not been rewarded with Premier League football, instead blighted by hirings and firings.

Liam Rosenior was sacked in 2024 after finishing seventh in his first season before being replaced by Tim Walter, who lasted only four months.

He was replaced by Ruben Selles in December last year but he was sacked at the end of last season as the club finished just above the relegation zone. He has now been replaced by Sergej Jakirović.

This week Ilicali told supporters at a forum that Hull do not have financial problems. And in an interview with BBC Radio Humberside, tried to reassure over the Tigers’ mounting debts.

“We don’t owe any money to anybody – the club owes money to me and I am the owner,” Ilicali said.

“I am spending from my pocket but we have extremely good players in the squad. I can say to the fans do not be under stress, we are fine.”