Frank Lampard hails ‘huge’ signing as Coventry seal record £22.5m Rushworth deal

Coventry have completed the club-record £22.5m signing of goalkeeper Carl Rushworth from Brighton as Frank Lampard’s side continue to prepare for their return to the Premier League after 25 years away.

The 25-year-old excelled on loan at Coventry in the Championship last season, playing an instrumental role in their promotion as champions, starting all 46 league matches and earning the Golden Glove award for keeping 17 clean sheets.

“It’s great to have Carl back with us on a permanent basis,” said Lampard, whose side begin their season at Arsenal on 21 August. “He’s a top professional, a great character and he had a huge impact on the team to help us get promoted last season. I’m looking forward to working with him again and welcoming him back into the group.”

Rushworth, who is also highly regarded within the Football Association and the England setup, joined Brighton from non-league Halifax in 2019 but departed the club without making a senior appearance. Before his season at Coventry he had enjoyed loans across the league pyramid with Walsall, Lincoln City, Swansea and Hull.

Brighton’s sporting director, Mike Cave, said: “While we would have liked to keep Carl with the club for longer, we respect his decision to secure regular first-team football in the Premier League”. Brighton are thought to have negotiated a sell-on clause and a buyback option as part of the sale, which could rise as high as £30m including add-ons.

Rushworth represents Coventry’s fourth summer signing. Last month they eclipsed their previous transfer record when paying Eintracht Frankfurt £17m to sign the Switzerland defender Aurèle Amenda, and have also signed Loum Tchouna and Frank Onyeka. Until Amenda’s arrival, their record outlay was £7.7m, to Antalyaspor, for Haji Wright in 2023.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa have welcomed the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) upholding their appeal to register 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo. The teenager, who was born in London but raised in Luxembourg, joined Villa from Metz in January but had been ineligible to play owing to Fifa’s regulations on international transfers of minors. Madjo, who has scored four goals in pre-season, is now available to feature for Villa.