Hull City’s position on Oscar Zambrano has significantly shifted in the wake of their EFL punishment, with the Tigers now understood to be ready to admit defeat in their bid to keep the midfielder at the club. City owner Acun Ilicali has led the pursuit of Zambrano from the very beginning, with the owner and the club standing by the player during a difficult period in the wake of his suspension for a doping ban while playing for LDU Quito.
Ilicali has stressed throughout the club would stand by the Ecuadorian midfielder, but the City boss is understood to have privately expressed a regret that it now looks highly unlikely a deal can be done because of City’s transfer fee restriction. The Tigers are operating under a three-window ban from paying for any players, either in a permanent signing or for a loan deal, with only free transfers and loans that don’t require a few allowed.
While the club have started the appeal process for the three-window ban, handed because of a failure to make what the EFL say were scheduled payments for the Louie Barry loan, even a victory is not expected to bring with it the ability to sign players for a fee this window.
Santo Domingo-born Zambrano joined the Tigers on a season-long loan deal last August, but was then handed a 16-month ban, reduced to 12 months on appeal. The 21-year-old, who only ever played five times for City, will be able to play again from November 3, 2025, and City had expected to conclude a deal. Indeed it’s understood the player himself had his heart set on returning to the MKM Stadium and repaying the faith shown in him.
Should City get their ban reduced to just this window, they could potentially sign Zambrano in January, meaning he would need to sit out the first two months of his ban and remain unemployed until January, before signing for City. It’s a move that has been suggested, but sources have indicated they don’t foresee it happening and now expect the player and club to now part ways as other options are explored.