The Tigers’ owner may well have a big decision to make
Hull City are expecting to receive a firm offer from Championship rivals Middlesbrough in the coming hours as the Tigers look to win the fight to keep Ivor Pandur.
Boro, Hull Live understands, are set to lodge a formal bid for last season’s Player of the Year, with City boss Sergej Jakirovic keen to keep his fellow countryman at the MKM Stadium, with talk of a new contract also not off the agenda.
It was reported earlier this month that Pandur had been attracting interest from the Riverside Stadium club, though no formal bid had been lodged.
Jakirovic says Pandur wants to stay at the club, but how the Tigers respond to the bid will rest with owner Acun Ilicali, who was the driving force behind signing the 25-year-old stopper from Fortuna Sittard in January last year.
It’s understood discussions have been held around a bid upwards of £5m with City unwilling to do business below that figure for a goalkeeper who was one of the Championship’s better performing goalkeepers last term, in a side that battled against relegation until the final day.
There had been suggestions that struggling Premier League side West Ham United had placed a bid for Pandur, though sources involved have so far indicated that those claims are wide of the mark. “I don’t know (what the situation is),” Jakirovic told Hull Live. “Ivor wants to stay, so we will see what the club decide.”
Given City’s difficulties in the transfer market, meaning they can only sign players on free transfers or loan without a fee, and so to replace Pandur at this late stage with the window closing at 7pm on Monday night, would be tough, the head coach admits.
“Yes (it is hard), because, also, his replacement has to be free or on loan, but if he’s free, maybe he didn’t train and is not playing, so it’s very tricky.”
Jakirovic says he had an hour-long chat with Ilicali after Saturday’s game and discussed potential targets along with what wheeling and dealing they can do with the squad.
“Nothing, I didn’t speak with the owner. Just after the (Blackburn) game, one hour we spoke about everything. Maybe getting some players in some positions that we miss, and that’s it.”
Meanwhile, City have rebuffed further interest from Coventry City in Charlie Hughes. His absence due to illness last weekend sparked a surge in speculation amongst supporters, but the club remain resolute in their determination to keep the young defender beyond the summer window.
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