USMNT striker Haji Wright advised to snub January transfer move & help Coventry City's promotion push to guarantee place in Mauricio Pochettino's 2026 World Cup squad

Wright has caught the eye at that level since arriving in England during the summer of 2023. He hit 19 goals during his debut campaign with Coventry, before finding the target on 12 occasions last term - with untimely injuries impacting his output. The 27-year-old is now back to peak form and fitness.

That has delivered a return of nine goals through 11 appearances in the 2025-26 season, with eight strikes in the Championship moving him to the front of the Golden Boot race. Consistency has returned to his game, meaning that more international recognition has come his way.

Wright was included in the latest USMNT squad and stepped off the bench during a 1-1 draw with Ecuador at Q2 Stadium in Texas. He now has 17 caps and five goals to his name, with the plan being to nail down a place in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans ahead of a home World Cup in 2026.

Wright is generating plenty of buzz in England and the States, with his many qualities being recognised - with his versatility, which allows him to play out wide or down the middle, making him a useful option for any head coach. As a more mature performer, he appears to be ready for a shot at the Premier League.

Quizzed on whether Wright is heading there - even if Coventry, who currently sit top of the Championship, do not - former Sky Blues striker Matt Jansen, speaking in association with Palantir Financial Planning, told GOAL: “He has eight goals this season, USA international, good player. You can never say you are going to succeed in the Premier League until you get there.

“We will get a glimpse of that in the World Cup when he is up against world-class defenders, whether he can handle that. He is certainly doing a fantastic job for Coventry at the minute. Time will tell, if they go up, whether he can produce the same in the Premier League. If I was a betting man, I would bet that he would.”

Goalscorers are always in demand, meaning that Wright could attract interest when another transfer window swings open in January. He is, however, settled in his current surroundings and delivering on a regular basis in a World Cup year.

With that in mind, Jansen added when asked if Wright should ignore any advances made in the new year: “Yeah, and he is doing really well for Coventry. You don’t want any disruption ahead of the World Cup. He’s got a really good chance of getting promoted with Coventry and going to the World Cup on the back of that, he will be full of confidence and see where that takes him.”

Wright has said of finding a spark this season: “Lampard has been a big inspiration for me since he came in. He’s shown me a lot of belief, has been able to help me in training and then games too... just to perform at my best. He was a great player during his time and now he’s a great person to be around, and he’s very personable, so it’s easy to talk to him whenever I have any questions. He’s up until now gotten the best out of me.”

Lampard has guided Coventry to 19 points through nine fixtures this season. They boast the last unbeaten record in the top four tiers of English football, with a positive response being offered to suffering play-off heartache in 2024-25. The Sky Blues will return to action after the international with a home date against Blackburn on October 18, with Wright and the USMNT having a friendly clash with Australia at DSG Park in Colorado to come prior to that.