Coventry City are understood to have paid ‘around €2million’ to Bologna for Luis Binks, according to reports from Italy.
The Sky Blues re-signed the 22-year-old Gillingham-born defender this month, upgrading his season-long loan from the Italian Serie A to a permanent, four year deal.
City’s official announcement said the club paid an ‘undisclosed’ fee for the player who made 15 Championship starts and 23 appearances in all competitions last term. But figures have emerged from Italy, where it is claimed Doug King has paid a not insignificant fee of around £1.7m for his services.
Italian outlet Tuttobolognaweb.it reported: “Bologna’s first transfer has arrived at the start of the transfer window.
“Luis Binks has been sold permanently to Coventry City, who signed him to a four-year contract. The British player’s wish was to stay and he was granted. Bologna will collect a sum of around 2 million euros for the permanent transfer.”
Starting out at Tottenham’s Academy, Binks arrived in Bologna in 2021 after a spell at Montreal. He made 15 appearances in the ‘rossoblù’ shirt before loans to Como and then to Coventry.
Binks expressed a desire to leave Italy a number of times last term and believed City was the ideal club for him to continue his development, and is delighted that has now become a reality.
“I think I said a few times last season that I wanted to come back ahead of the new season, and I am buzzing to be back,” said the centre-back.
“To work with the manager and Adi can only be a good thing for me and I am excited to see where it goes.”
On his summer conversations with Mark Robins, he revealed: “I spoke to gaffer about a month ago and we spoke about how he sees me going forward at this Football Club, and where we can get to, and that made my mind clear that I wanted to come here and keep working. I always wanted to come and work with him, Adi [Viveash] and the boys. I get on well with everyone, one and off the pitch, and that’s a big part of it. If I am happy off the pitch then I will be happy on the pitch.”
