Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic won’t have any further additions to his squad for the start of the pre-season camp in Turkey and reinforcements are not expected at this moment for the opening two friendly matches of the summer after the club decided to place all transfer business firmly on hold.
The Tigers will make no further additions to the squad until the club finds out the outcome of their appeal against a three-window transfer fee ban placed on them by the EFL, which could come in the next week but is rated highly unlikely that it will come this week before the club depart for Turkey on Sunday.
City‘s financial difficulties hit the headlines last week when the EFL imposed a transfer embargo on the club after an issue with Louie Barry’s loan payment. The embargo was lifted when a payment to Aston Villa was made. A second embargo was added over a delay in payment to Manchester City over Fin Burns, though that was removed quickly after a payment was made to the Premier League outfit, but the fee restriction poses the club with a major problem.
Under the terms of their punishment from the EFL, the Tigers will not be able to pay a transfer or loan fee until January 2027, though owner Acun Ilicali is hopeful it will be reduced or even scrapped on appeal. That remains to be seen, and they must prepare for the worst.
Unfortunately for City, any talks with potential new arrivals remain on ice until they know what they’re dealing with, which is naturally leaving them vulnerable to missing out on targets.
Sources have told Hull Live that the club has two active transfer lists. One is based on the club being handed a ban and, therefore, being restricted to free transfers and loan arrivals, while the other is based on their original targets if the ban should be lifted.
Adding to the forward line remains a high priority and something they have not been able to do yet, which is a major worry given their struggles in front of goal. The club remain hopeful of agreeing a deal with Oliver McBurnie, but that deal is on hold for the time being.
Westerlo striker Matija Frigan could yet arrive on loan even if the ban remains in place, though the mechanics of that deal would likely come under EFL scrutiny.
While it looks unlikely at this stage, even if the ban remains in place for any duration, City have not given up hope of striking a deal for Oscar Zambrano. Given the young Ecuadorian can’t play until November, having been banned for a year, there may well be scope to make that happen further down the line.
Bringing in a left-back remains a high priority, and the Tigers still want to add in midfield and out wide, but until the result of their appeal is known, little can be done either way, and they remain in a state of limbo.
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.