Coventry City are on the verge of automatic promotion to the Premier League under Frank Lampard.

The Sky Blues made the play-offs in two of the previous three seasons but were unable to clinch a return to the top division.

The 47-year-old took over at the CBS Arena in November 2024 after Mark Robins left, and he guided the squad to fifth place in the league.

The former Chelsea manager signed a contract until June 2027, which means he will now enter the final year of his current deal.

Lampard’s good performance at Coventry has gotten a lot of attention, and he has been linked with the upcoming vacancy at Crystal Palace, where Oliver Glasner is expected to leave at the conclusion of the season.

He has also been linked with a third stint at Chelsea in place of Liam Rosenior, as the 41-year-old faces rising pressure.

Doug King makes Frank Lampard’s contract claim.

Owner Doug King has said that he has yet to hold contract discussions with Lampard amid speculation about his long-term future with the club, implying that it will not come up until at least the end of the current season.

He has questioned the need to discuss fresh terms when they have already agreed on an agreement until June 2027, implying that there is no need for negotiations right now, especially with the squad so close to achieving promotion.

“You know, we did a contract with Frank at the beginning,” King told Coventry Live.

“I always find it humorous when you give someone a contract for a long time and then a few years later they want to talk about it again.

“You know, why do we do it when we could just do it for a few years and then talk again?

“The reality is, you know, we don’t get into that at this time.

“And I think this is a moment to have no distractions on absolutely anything.”

He believes that now is not the time for contract negotiations, citing the recent extensions of Milan van Ewijk, Liam Kitching, and Jay Dasilva as examples of when it was appropriate to renew terms.

“There are periods for contract discussions, and everyone saw we did a few extensions with some of the boys recently,” she said.

“That was a moment then, now is a moment for totally different things.”

The trio of Coventry players agreed to new contracts in February of this year, when their previous contracts were slated to end in 2027.

The Sky Blues have secured their long-term futures, and the club is now on the verge of ending its 25-year wait for top-flight play.

Coventry’s last Premier League season ended in 2001, and the margin to third-place Ipswich Town is currently 11 points, with the Tractor Boys having only eight games left.

Lampard’s side has won seven of their previous eight Championship games, putting them nine points ahead of second-place Middlesbrough, who have seven games remaining.

Coventry’s next game comes at home against Derby County on April 3 at 8 p.m.

Coventry are left themselves exposed to Frank Lampard’s escape.

Lampard’s contract is entering its final year, and if it expires without an extension, he might leave for a team like Crystal Palace or Chelsea.

The 47-year-old has done an excellent job getting the squad this close to promotion, and they should be able to cross the finish line from here, so fans would be sad if he leaves.

The fact that King and Lampard have not held negotiations suggests that neither party is in a hurry to reach a new agreement, therefore the manager may be content to keep his options open.

However, waiting until promotion is officially achieved may make sense, since discussions about a new contract could be distracting, so an extension is still possible in the coming months.