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Coventry City say they are "sickened and saddened" by racist abuse sent to defender Fankaty Dabo after the club's Championship play-off final defeat.

Dabo was the only player to miss his penalty in Coventry's 6-5 shootout loss to Luton at Wembley on Saturday.

A club statement said: "The messages are abhorrent. We are clear there is no place for racism in our society."

Londoner Dabo, 27, is one of seven first-team players being released when their Sky Blues contracts expire.

Coventry thanked supporters for the positive messages sent to Dabo after the game and have said they will provide support for the player.

Listen to BBC CWR's Sky Blues Fancast
"The club will work with the PFA, EFL and Police and will seek to ban and prosecute any person found to have sent racist messages," said the club.

Chairman Doug King added: "Coventry is a tolerant and multicultural city that we are proud to represent and there is no place any form of racism or discrimination in person or on social media."

Dabo's missed spot-kick at Wembley proved to be his final act in a Coventry shirt. The former Chelsea youth team player made 131 appearances during his four years with the Sky Blues and helped Mark Robins' side win the 2019-20 League One title.

Julien Dacosta, Todd Kane, Sean Maguire, Michael Rose, Martyn Waghorn and Tyler Walker are the other senior players set to leave the club.

Captain Liam Kelly has been offered a new one-year contract.

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Coventry City have signed Everton striker Ellis Simms on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Simms scored seven goals on loan last season at Sunderland then once in 11 games after returning to Goodison Park.

The 22-year-old is to be a straight replacement for Viktor Gyokeres, who is now expected to complete an £18.5m move to Sporting Lisbon over the weekend.

"He is a strong, powerful striker who also has pace and finishing ability," said Sky Blues boss Mark Robins.

"He is a key signing for us. Ellis is a young player who is keen to continue his development and to impress at Coventry City, and we look forward to working with him."

He becomes the beaten Championship play-off finalists' second signing of the summer, following the arrival of out-of-contract former England Under-21 defender Jay Dasilva from Bristol City.

Gyokeres was due to report back for pre-season training on Saturday morning, having had extra time off due to his international commitments playing for Sweden last month.

But, although Coventry are heading off next week to a Portugal-based training camp, BBC CWR have been told that it now seems very unlikely that Gyokeres, now seemingly Portugal-bound himself, will join them.

With payment terms and instalments reportedly agreed and medical tests scheduled, he would become Lisbon's record signing.

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Coventry City have signed Japan midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on a three-year deal from Belgian club KV Oostende.

Sakamoto scored 10 goals in 81 games for Oostende, after initially joining them on loan from Cerezo Osaka in his native Japan in January 2022.

The 26-year-old made his Japan debut in June 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Tajikistan.

He becomes the first Asian player to sign for the Sky Blues.

"We're very pleased to welcome Tatsuhiro to Coventry City," said Coventry boss Mark Robins.

"Having impressed in his native country, he continued to do so in Belgium and we look forward to welcoming him to English football.

"He is a versatile and creative attacking midfielder, with good technical ability and pace, and we look forward to working with him."

Sakamoto becomes the Sky Blues' third summer signing after the arrivals of defender Jay Dasilva and Ellis Simms. The fee involved not been been disclosed.

Coventry reached the Sky Bet Championship play-off final last season, losing on penalties to Luton Town.

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Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres has completed his expected transfer to Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.

Gyokeres has moved on a five-year deal for an undisclosed eight-figure fee, a record for an outgoing Coventry player.

City confirmed that Gyokeres has now finally left "following the agreement of a significant undisclosed fee, the highest transfer fee ever received by the Sky Blues, plus add-ons".

The 25-year-old Swede still had a year left on his Coventry contract.

Having been beaten in the Championship play-off final on penalties by Luton in May, and knowing that Gyokeres was set to leave after weeks of speculation, Coventry had already signed a replacement in Everton striker Ellis Simms.

Coventry sign Everton striker Ellis Simms
Gyokeres has spent six seasons in British football since first being signed by Brighton from Swedish side IF Brommapojkarna in December 2017.

He made five cup appearances for the Seagulls in the 2018-19 season before being allowed out on loan to German second division side St Pauli in the Covid-interrupted 2019-20 campaign, scoring seven goals in 26 appearances.

Gyokeres then scored his only goal for Brighton in a behind-closed-doors EFL Cup win over Portsmouth at the start of the 2020-21 season, playing two more matches before being loaned out to Swansea.

He failed to score in 11 league appearances for the Swans, mostly from the bench, before being recalled by Brighton mid-season and sent out on loan to Coventry.

He scored only three times but did enough for Coventry to make the move permanent in July 2021, for an undisclosed fee. Gyokeres responded by scoring 40 goals in 97 league and cup matches.

His 21 goals and 12 assists last season made him one of the Championship's most prized assets - and took the Sky Blues to the brink of a return to the top flight for the first time in 22 years.

But Gyokeres, who dismissed interest from potential suitors in January, wanted top-flight football and the chance to play in Europe.

His goals dried up at the end of the season, and City's defeat in the Championship play-off final penalty shootout effectively sealed his inevitable departure.

The fee for Gyokeres, reported to be close to £20m, comfortably tops the £13m Coventry received for Robbie Keane when he moved to Inter Milan in August 2000.

It also beats the previous record fee Lisbon paid of 16m euros (£13.7m) to Sporting Braga for striker Paulinho in January 2021.

Cov fans had 'come to terms' with Gyokeres exit
Analysis - Clive Eakin, BBC CWR

This is news that Coventry City fans have had time to come to terms with.

The move has been on the cards for most of the summer and Gyokeres was filmed arriving in Portugal yesterday to complete the deal.

As they always do, City have described it as an "undisclosed fee" but they say it's a club record even before add-ons. Reports have suggested it's worth 24m euros, which is just over £20m.

Gyokeres first joined City on loan from Brighton in 2021 after a largely unsuccessful spell at Swansea and won mixed reviews from fans.

But Mark Robins saw enough to take a punt on a more permanent move and was rewarded with 17 Championship goals in 2021-22 and 21 last season on the run to Wembley, with 12 assists.

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Coventry City have signed goalkeeper Brad Collins from League One side Barnsley for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.

Collins, 26, made 117 Tykes appearances after joining from Chelsea in 2019.

He played 26 games last season but lost his place after injury and was not involved in Barnsley's play-off final loss to Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley.

"Brad has great pedigree and excellent goalkeeping ability," said Coventry boss Mark Robins.

"His time with Barnsley plus his loan spells [with Burton and Forest Green] have given him good experience, while still being relatively young for a keeper."

Ben Wilson was Coventry's first-choice goalkeeper in 2022-23, playing 47 times in all competitions as the Sky Blues reached the Championship play-off final.

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Coventry City have signed defender Joel Latibeaudiere following the expiry of his contract with Swansea City.

The Sky Blues will still have to pay an undisclosed compensation fee for the Jamaica international, thought to be about £500,000.

The 23-year-old, who has agreed a four-year deal, moved to south Wales from Manchester City in October 2020.

He made 37 appearances for Swansea last season, including the 3-3 draw at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

"Joel is a composed, ball-playing centre-half, who has experience of playing in the Championship and also internationally," said Sky Blues boss Mark Robins.

"He's a versatile defender who fits in with our style of play and is an important signing for us."

Latibeaudiere is Coventry's fifth summer signing since losing to Luton Town in the Championship play-off final at Wembley following Jay Dasilva, Ellis Sims, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and goalkeeper Brad Collins.

Born in Doncaster, he played for England up to under-20 level before switching his international allegiance to Jamaica.

The Sky Blues start the new season with a trip to Leicester City, who were relegated from the Premier League, on 5 August.

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Coventry City have signed defender Bobby Thomas from promoted Premier League side Burnley for an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old, who made his Clarets debut in September 2020, becomes Coventry's sixth summer signing.

Thomas has signed a four-year contract.

"He is a talented young defender, who is highly rated and had impressive loan spells at both Bristol Rovers and Barnsley last season," said Sky Blues boss Mark Robins.

"He has good defensive attributes and is also comfortable with the ball at his feet.

"We're very pleased that Bobby has chosen to join Coventry City to continue his development and his arrival further boosts our defensive options."

Thomas has had three separate loan spells away from Turf Moor.

He spent the second half of the 2020-21 season at League Two side Barrow, then had two more loans last season in League One, first with Joey Barton's Bristol Rovers, then with Barnsley, helping the Yorkshire side to last season's League One play-off final.

Thomas' capture follows the arrival of Bristol City defender Jay Dasilva, Everton striker Ellis Simms, Japan midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto from Belgian club KV Oostende, Barnsley goalkeeper Brad Collins and Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere.

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Coventry City have made their seventh summer signing by bringing in Dutch defender Milan van Ewijk from Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old wing-back played 36 league games for Heerenveen in the 2022-23 season, scoring six goals.

"He is an exciting player who really fits in with the way we play," said Coventry manager Mark Robins.

"He has great pace and quality going forward, as well defensive ability."

He follows the Sky Blues' signings of Bristol City defender Jay Dasilva, Everton striker Ellis Simms, Japan midfielder Tatsuhiro Sakamoto from Belgian club KV Oostende, Barnsley goalkeeper Brad Collins, Swansea City defender Joel Latibeaudiere and Burnley defender Bobby Thomas.

Netherlands Under-21 international Van Ewijk started his career in the Feyenoord academy and continued his development with a move to Excelsior Maassluis.

He moved to the Dutch top flight in 2020 after signing for ADO Den Haag before joining Heerenveen in 2021.

Beaten Championship play-off finalists Coventry, who sold star striker Viktor Gyokeres to Sporting Lisbon for an eight-figure club record fee, start the new season with a trip to local rivals Leicester City on Sunday, 6 August.

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Coventry City have signed defender Luis Binks on loan from Italian Serie A side Bologna for the new Championship season.

The 21-year-old has been in Italy since August 2020 after he left Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact.

He moved to the United States six months earlier having began his career in the academy at Tottenham Hotspur.

Binks is the Sky Blues' eighth summer signing ahead of the new campaign which starts at Leicester City on 6 August.

He joins Milan van Ewijk, Jay Dasilva, Ellis Simms, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Brad Collins, Joel Latibeaudiere and Bobby Thomas at the Coventry Building Society Arena as they look to mount another promotion challenge under Mark Robins.

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Coventry striker Matty Godden has signed a contract extension to run until the end of the 2024-25 season.

The 32-year-old has scored 41 goals in 116 appearances for the Sky Blues since joining them from Peterborough in 2019.

He was on target 15 times - including two hat-tricks - as they won promotion from League One in 2020.

And Godden scored eight times last term as they reached the Championship play-off final, only to lose to Luton on penalties at Wembley.

"The journey has been special and something I will remember for the rest of my life," he told the Coventry website.

"It means a lot to me to get this over the line and hopefully we can make some more memories."

He added: "We want to be fighting where we were last year and I think we deserve to be up there again.

"Nothing is a given in this league. We will go out there and give it our all every game and see where that takes us."