Coventry City’s push for promotion has received a major lift.
Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok has been recalled from his loan spell at Portsmouth and is set to link up with the Sky Blues for the rest of the season, according to talkSPORT. Coventry have also secured Crystal Palace winger Romain Esse for the second half of the campaign.
Esse has made eight senior appearances for Palace this season but has been limited to just 40 minutes of Premier League football.
Yang’s time at Fratton Park was mixed. The 19-year-old started 10 of his 16 outings in all competitions, scoring three goals and providing one assist.
One of those strikes proved dramatic, as he fired in a 98th-minute winner against Charlton Athletic in Portsmouth’s final game of 2025, moments after the visitors had equalised.
That goal turned out to be Yang’s final contribution for Portsmouth. He was an unused substitute in their 5-0 loss to Bristol City on New Year’s Day.
He leaves Portsmouth sitting 21st in the Championship on 25 points, just one above the relegation zone. In contrast, Yang now joins a Coventry side leading the table on 52 points, eight clear of third-placed Ipswich Town. Frank Lampard’s men have occupied top spot since October as they chase a return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
Despite their strong position, Coventry’s form has dipped recently, with only two wins from their last eight league games highlighting that promotion is far from assured. Their attacking struggles have also been evident, having failed to score more than once in a league match between November 29 and their 3-2 defeat at Birmingham on January 4.
The arrivals of Yang and Esse follow Lampard’s admission that his squad needs reinforcements to stay competitive. Speaking before the Birmingham loss, Lampard said:
“We’ll see, won’t we. I think we need help for the squad.
If you look at teams that get to where we want to be, their squads are bigger. Freshness is key, and quality too — we can’t just bring in anyone. We need players who genuinely improve us.”
Lampard also highlighted a shortage of wide options after a 3-0 defeat to Ipswich, noting the impact of Jaden Philogene, who the Tractor Boys signed from Aston Villa for £20m.
“We don’t have them, and that’s the reality,” he said. “Then you see Philogene come on and you think, ‘OK.’”
Coventry will aim to secure their first win of 2026 when they face Stoke City in the FA Cup third round on January 10.
