Confirmed: Frank Lampard completes first Coventry City transfer amid 'twist of fate'
Frank Lampard has completed his first Coventry City transfer after the club formally announced the signing of Matt Grimes from Championship rivals Swansea City.
The Sky Blues boss finally got his man at the third attempt after the South Wales club accepted a third bid for his services, reported to be between £3.5m-£4m. Coventry today said that the 29-year-old midfielder had joined for an undisclosed fee, having signed a three-and-a-half year deal at the CBS Arena following a decade with the Swans.
Swansea boss Luke Williams said of the fee: "It's extremely good business all round. It's a very good deal for us. It's fantastic for them because he's a great player. So it's a fair deal all round."
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Grimes, who travelled to the Midlands to complete his medical on Thursday, will take the vacant No.6 shirt at City, last worn by legendary captain Liam Kelly.
Lampard said: “I would like to welcome Matt to Coventry City. He is a player that I have really admired for a long time and his fantastic all-round midfield qualities and experience will be a great addition to the team.”
The timing of the fixture is not ideal, with the Sky Blues travelling to play Swansea this weekend, and Lampard confirmed that the player won't be featuring on Saturday.
"No, he won’t be and I think that’s understandable because he’s been there a long time," he said. "I think he’s been very respectful about how he’s left the club, and understandably so, and I think the feeling towards him, without telling anyone how to feel, will understand the input he’s had at that club for a long period of time. And now he moves on for another challenge.
“So I think in terms of the timing of the game, it’s a twist of fate and I think probably the respectful thing for everybody is that he starts with us after that.”
Grimes rose through the ranks at Exeter City, making over 60 appearances before his performances earned him a move to then Premier League side Swansea City, in 2015.
The 29-year-old featured for the Swans in the Premier League before spending spells out on loan with Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Northampton Town.
He returned to South Wales in 2018 where he became an ever-present in the middle of the park, missing just four Championship fixtures across the next six-and-a-half seasons, as well as being named club captain in 2019.
In total, Grimes has made 467 career appearances, scoring 25 goals and assisting 52 times during his 12-year playing career.
