Norwich City target Michael Mifsud moved a step closer to leaving Coventry City after his transfer request was accepted by Sky Blues manager Chris Coleman.

Norwich City target Michael Mifsud moved a step closer to leaving Coventry City after his transfer request was accepted by Sky Blues manager Chris Coleman.

The Canaries are one of three Coca-Cola Championship sides - alongside Bristol City and Crystal Palace - to have made enquired with Coventry over the availability of the 27-year-old Maltese international and although he still has a year left on his current contract, Mifsud wants to leave and the Sky Blues are keen to cash in rather than lose the player on a free transfer next summer.

“I've spoken with Michael this week and he has agreed with his agent that it's time to move on,” said Coleman. “He's said he will hand in a transfer request and there's nothing we can do about that.

“We have to move on ourselves and if a club comes in and offers the right money then we'll have to look at it. We risk having an unhappy player on our hands and then losing him for nothing. If he feels his career is going to progress elsewhere, there's nothing we can do about that.”

Mifsud bagged 17 goals last season and came to prominence last after scoring twice at Old Trafford to send Manchester United spiralling out of the Carling Cup in September, before repeating the feat to knock Blackburn Rovers out of the FA Cup at Ewood Park four months later.

But with Clinton Morrison currently on trial with the Sky Blues, and Freddie Eastwood another target for Coleman, Mifsud's opportunities next season were set to be limited.

And Norwich boss Glenn Roeder remains desperate to add to his strike power ahead of this season's Championship opener - coincidentally, at Coventry - Mifsud's goals would prove to be a blessing as Jamie Cureton and Chris Martin remain the only strikers likely to feature in the League next season, ahead of first-year pros Kris Renton and Luke Daley.

Mifsud has 56 caps for Malta to his name, scoring 19 goals, and the former Lillestrom and Kaiserskautern forward has been linked with a move away from Coventry since making his mark against Premier League opposition last season.

But nothing materialised, leaving Roeder the chance to consider adding Mifsud to a long list of strikers linked with the Canaries this summer.

Newcastle pair Shola Ameobi and Andy Carroll, Southampton's Grezgorz Rasiak and Leicester City forward Steve Howard have all had the names banded around as Roeder targets since May, while triallist Chris Makiese did his case for a contract no harm with a goal and a strong performance in City's 2-1 win against Ahlafors IF on Saturday.

One name that may find its way on to a Canaries team-sheet sooner rather than later is Arturo Lupoli, with reports suggesting the player is in England and undergoing a medical at the club before finalising a season-long loan deal from Fiorentina.

Officials at Carrow Road have been tight-lipped about a move for the 21-year-old former Arsenal and Derby striker, while Roeder even scotching talk of any firm offer for the player following the club's opening pre-season friendly at Gorleston last week.

The Serie A giants released a statement confirming they had received a transfer bid from Norwich for Lupoli last week, with the striker all but frozen out of Fiorentina's first team plans at the Artemio Franchi this season, having returned from a loan stint at Serie B club Treviso.

The former Gunner has also been linked with moves to Udinese and Siena.