City linked with young Millwall defender Mbulu

COVENTRY City are one of three League Two clubs to have been linked with the loan services of young Millwall defender, Christian Mbulu.

According to The Football League Zone on Twitter; Chesterfield, Cheltenham and Coventry City are rumoured to be interested in the 21-year-old, who has yet to make a senior appearance for the Championship Lions.

The defender, who is predominantly a centre-back, stands at 6ft 3ins and recently signed a new contract at the Den after spending a month on loan at the end of last season at non-league Braintree Town.

During his time at the Essex based club, Mbulu appeared on three occasions and was named on the bench once, completing 90 minutes in every game he started.

The centre-half is clearly a wanted a man having previously been monitored by Premier League giants Chelsea, according to reports from the Daily Star which date back to last year.

Mbulu has been compared to Manchester United and England ace Chris Smalling after similarly being plucked from non-league obscurity by a Football League side.

Signed from Brentwood Town in 2015 by the Lions, it would seem the next step in his development is to get some experience within the football league; and a move in the new year looks imminent for the strapping centre-half.

Sky Blues boss Mark Robins has confirmed that he expects at least two incoming loan signings in January and has made his priority to add pace and goals at the sharp end rather than add to what is one of the meanest defences in the division.

So unless City are planning on selling the likes of Jordan Willis and/ or Rod McDonald in the transfer window, the speculation would appear somewhat wide of the mark.

Robins has revealed that he could draft in as many as four players on loan and that the club will be sending current squad players out to balance the wages for those coming in.

The mid-season transfer window opens in a fortnight, with Robins hoping to have the first two at his disposal by January 2, although not New Year’s Day when City entertain Chesterfield at the Ricoh Arena.

The first game after that is the FA Cup third round clash against Premier League Stoke City on January 6, although their availability to play will depend on whether the deals are until the end of the season or short-term agreements, in which case their parent clubs may not want them cup-tied. COVENTRY City’s teenage goal scoring sensation Jordan Ponticelli has not featured for the first team for three games.

In fact, the 19-year-old Academy graduate has not been involved in the match day squads in the last two and wasn’t included in this week’s Under-23s trip to Ipswich Town. So what’s happened to the lad? Injured? No. Kept out of the limelight to keep the wolves away this January, bearing in mind how many scouts have been watching his every move this season? Maybe.