Motherwell transfer interest in Coventry City talent addressed as boss hopes to seal deal before midweek game
The Coventry City player is set to make a move to Motherwell in the transfer window.
Stuart Kettlewell has confirmed Motherwell are looking to do a deal with Coventry City for teenage midfielder Kai Andrews.
The 18-year-old is highly-rated by the English Championship side and would head to Fir Park for more senior exposure. Motherwell have provided a platform to plenty of young stars from clubs south of the border who have gone on to play regularly elsewhere, including Sturm Graz striker Mika Biereth, Huddersfield Town’s Brodie Spencer and Barnsley’s Georgie Gent during Kettlewell’s reign.
Andrews has been part of the Coventry City youth system and signed his first professional contract in January 2024. He is a Welsh youth international and has featured in Championship squads regularly for his club this season, making two senior appearances so far over the course of his time at first-team level.
Ahead of a Premiership clash with Kilmarnock, Motherwell manager Kettlewell confirmed the deal could be completed in time for the game on Wednesday. He said: “It's got the potential of being done. I'm not really in control of it. It's something I would like to try and do. And hopefully we'll maybe have some more on that over the course of the day. But as it stands just now, it's not. So again, that's where I would take a back step.
“He's a player I really like. I'll always be respectful in this that until something is actually done, he's not our player. Someone that I really like, I've followed for a while now. Someone that's very highly regarded. Really, really good talent. I've been fortunate enough to watch him live, which is always good. That is something that we're working towards.
“I'd be respectful until that's actually signed, sealed and delivered. I don't want to step on anybody's toes at that point. But again, it's another scenario where a young player, very young player at 18, we want to try and show ourselves to be a football club that gives that opportunity. I think we've done that time and again now.
“There's been a lot of success in it. You look at the number of young lads, little experience that have been able to come up here to Scotland with talent. Mika Biereth and he is looking at a deal to Monaco. Brodie Spencer, James Furlong, Georgie Gent, you start to go through this list. Marvin Kaleta this season, Tawanda Maswanhise. There's a number of these guys.
“So I'm really proud of that. And it's something I want to try and show towards some of these bigger clubs in England that we can give players platform, not only our own academy guys, but guys from further afield and show that level of quality and that level of opportunity that these guys have had.”
For the young player coming in from Coventry City, Kettlewell has provided assurances that a welcoming and patient environment will await. He added: “It can't just be someone that I think is a decent player, but not going to fit into what we do. That's the starting point.
“They need to have a level of talent. And what they have to do is they probably have to show this willingness to come out and go and play just now, because sometimes you'll find the academy kids, younger players, that if they're at the age of 17,18,19, some are quite happy in the academy system.
“Some are quite happy just to keep going along and doing what they're doing. What I really need is players that are stepping forward and want to have those challenges of senior football and get the challenges of the Premiership and Scottish football. So that's always something I look at. And for all these guys that I spoke about that have been a success here, they've all kind of been jumping out of their seat and wanting that opportunity. So that's worked really well.
“I think that the kind of process and how we work here at the Football Club fits to that. And what we also know sometimes with these first loans is, it's as much about me and the group of players we've got here as anything else, because if I start to get upset about one mistake or one poor half of football, then these guys won't get another chance. And that's not something that upsets me. I see it as a stepping stone in the right direction for their futures and for their careers.”