Frank Lampard plans ambitious move for forgotten Premier League star banished by club
Share:
Rob Holding has emerged as a surprise transfer target for Coventry City after being exiled from the Crystal Palace squad. The former Arsenal centre-back swapped the Emirates for Selhurst Park last year but has not made a single Premier League appearance for the Eagles since his £4million move.
And things got even worse for Holding earlier this season when Oliver Glasner revealed he was training with Palace's Under-23 team, all but confirming that the defender's career at the club was done. Despite a dearth of game time over the past 18 months, Holding is being targeted by Coventry's new head coach, Frank Lampard, who is hoping that the player can be convinced to drop down to the Championship on loan to kickstart his career.
That's according to a new report from The Sun, who confirm Holding is one of a number of players who could leave Crystal Palace in the January transfer window. While Holding has endured a miserable time at Palace, he does boast a wealth of experience. He made over 160 appearances for Arsenal after impressing for his first club, Bolton Wanderers, in the Championship at the start of his career.
His presence would boost a Coventry side looking to climb the table under Lampard, who succeeded the popular Mark Robins at the helm back in late November. The former Chelsea and Derby County boss has won three of his nine league fixtures at the helm, with the Sky Blues currently 15th in the table.
Glasner confirmed that Holding would no longer be training with the first-team back in September, but the Crystal Palace head coach refused to disclose the reasons behind his decision to exile the 29-year-old. A previous report from The Athletic claims that the defender objected to taking part in a post-match running session after a defeat to West Ham due to injury concerns. He did participate, but he was then allegedly sent to train with the club's U23 side.
