Coventry City transfer news from CoventryLive as Mark Robins addresses the latest situation surrounding star midfielder Gustavo Hamer’s future
Mark Robins admits Gustavo Hamer’s Coventry City future remains very much “up in the air” and “needs resolving quickly” with the Sky Blues just a week away from the start of the new Championship season.
The manager revealed that the club have had bids for the player, which have not been acceptable, and that the decision to stay remains largely in the player’s hands, although Robins has not ruled out the club taking that decision away from him by making him see out the last 12 months of his contract.
Hamer once again showed how much of an influential figure he is by setting up City’s opening goal when he went on in the club’s final pre-season friendly at Exeter City, with goals from Matty Godden and Ben Sheaf securing a 2-1 victory at St James Park where the travelling fans sang “Hamer, sign your contract,” as he warmed up in front of them.
“I think everyone wants him to stay and it’s down to Gus, but at the end of the day he’s a human being and has got his own ideas,” said Robins.
He’s been brilliant for us. I think, really, we have got to try and keep hold of him if we can but as I have said before, it’s really in his hands.
“We want to keep him, the supporters have made their voices clear today. I don’t know how Gus feels about that but he’s someone who just takes things in his stride and has a really good rapport with them and all the staff and players.”
He added: “Whatever happens, if he ends up moving on, it will hurt him for a while, there’s no doubt about that because he will miss it; everything that we have done together. But you have to look and say he has been phenomenal for us for three years and got better and better each season.
“And last season he single-handedly, really, got us into play-off contention and promotion contention, so his performances are incredible. Everyone saw that today when he came on. His quality and energy is something that we crave; we need and should that go then we need to replace that, if that’s what we have to do.
“Again, it’s still all to play for. It’s still up in the air but that situation needs resolving quickly.”
Asked if Hamer has made a decision about signing a new contract that is on the table for him yet, the Sky Blues boss said: “Well yes, he’s… Well you’ll have to speak to him. If you get to speak to him then fine, you can ask him the question. From my point of view I want him to stay. From his point of view, umm, he’s very clear on what he wants.”
Asked if the club have received any bids for the player, he admitted: “The honest answer is yes, we have had offers but they haven’t been acceptable. That could change, who knows. He’s a top player, there’s no doubt about it, and other clubs covet them and put things in his head and that’s something that you can’t remove from his head. I think really what I would like to see is us finish our recruitment and then see what’s what, but ultimately it’s his decision.
“We could maybe take the decision out of his hands and say ‘you are here for the 12 months,’ and that may be the case still. But look, we have got to be sensible on these things. It will play out but I don’t really want that to play out in the press with me speaking about it. It’s got to play out naturally, really.
“My stance is really clear, I don’t want him to go anywhere but we have to wait and see.”
