Why Lampard needs Taiwo Awoniyi for Coventry City’s EPL opener against Arsenal

Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi is set to join newly promoted English Premier League club Coventry City in a deal worth €20 million, Afrik-Foot reports.

​The transfer is top business for both clubs, as Nottingham Forest are selling Awoniyi for nearly the same fee they paid Union Berlin for him three years ago.

For the Sky Blues, they are acquiring a proven Premier League player capable of delivering top performances on his day. A player with Awoniyi’s profile is one that some clubs spend upwards of €40 million to secure nowadays.

​He has proven to be clutch, as seen in his first two seasons at Nottingham Forest, when he scored crucial goals to help them win their relegation battles.

​Consequently, Awoniyi is expected to be a vital weapon in coach Frank Lampard’s attack for the upcoming Premier League campaign.

​On Sunday, Nottingham Forest players and staff gave Awoniyi an emotional farewell before their pre-season friendly against Brest at the City Ground. However, Coventry City have yet to officially announce the deal.

​Even so, statistics suggest they would be wise to finalize the transfer as quickly as possible.

​Why Coventry City Need to Wrap Up the Taiwo Awoniyi Deal Soon

​Coventry are yet to confirm the Awoniyi transfer, though it is unlikely anything will derail it at this stage.

​Nevertheless, they need to wrap up the paperwork as soon as possible, as coach Frank Lampard will want every available weapon at his disposal ahead of their Premier League opener against Arsenal at the Emirates this weekend.

​In fact, statistics show the immediate impact Awoniyi could make against the Gunners. According to Transfermarkt, Awoniyi has scored three goals in six career meetings against Arsenal.

Feck man. Without Taiwo Awoniyi, we’d have been straight back down. We owe so much to him. Going to miss that big smile pic.twitter.com/bh8BVHgcbC

— Callum Castel (@CallumCastel7) August 15, 2026

This gives him a strong track record against the Gunners — even better than the current attacking options at Coventry City like Ellis Simms and Haji Wright.

​If Coventry City can finalize Awoniyi’s transfer soon, starting him will undoubtedly be a no-brainer. Getting a result against the reigning champions Arsenal would definitely be a great deal for Coventry City. In fact, it would be a major upset.