Acun Ilicali remains confident Hull City will receive good news with the club’s appeal against a three-window transfer fee restriction imposed on them by the EFL.
City launched an appeal against the heavy sanction, with Ilicali believing they have a good chance of success when the hearing is heard early next month. But whatever the outcome, he says the club has plans in place to strengthen Sergej Jakirovic’s squad before the transfer window closes at 7pm on September 1.
Ilicali says his media group, Acun Medya, has pumped £3m into the club this month to help cover outstanding costs and ensure City have met their outstanding commitments. He says there are ‘no disagreements’ with any other club, including Aston Villa, relating to transfer payments.
While he’s naturally unsure about how the appeal will go, the Turkish businessman believes City have shown to the EFL that they should not be punished and will therefore see some reduction at the very least, suggesting ‘justice will be done’ for the East Yorkshire outfit.
Speaking to Hull Live in a wide-ranging conversation, Ilicali explained that while ‘sometimes in life, there can be some technical mistakes from our people’, the group continues to support the club and reiterated his financial backing for the Tigers. Like most Championship clubs, the Tigers lose money, relying on owner backing, and he says he continues to support where needed, admitting that it will not change. He’s also urged supporters to show their backing and love for Jakirovic and his team this season as they look to overcome what he describes as ‘difficulties’.
Having admitted that last season was tough with his Fenerbahce commitments, which took focus away from the Tigers, he now has ‘two hundred per cent concentration on making Hull City successful’ this term.
While fans remain concerned about the squad’s strength, especially up front, just two weeks away from the start of the new Championship campaign, the Tigers supremo is confident the squad will be in a stronger place by the time the window closes, whatever sanctions are in place.
Ilicali adds that he has full confidence that the club will add enough quality to ensure that the fans have a squad that they ‘can be proud of’ after last season’s struggles.
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Enis Destan is likely to be one of as many as eight or nine new faces expected to arrive before the window closes, with the 23-year-old attacker set to come in on a season-long deal from Trabzonspor, though it will require EFL approval.
Destan’s Trabzon teammate, John Lundstram, is also in talks with the Tigers over a move back to Yorkshire. Ilicali says he’s ‘working 24 hours a day’ to try to conclude a deal for the 31-year-old former Sheffield United star, and according to the owner, Oliver McBurnie could yet join him. That deal is ‘still alive’, he claimed.
The Tigers have moved on Sean McLoughlin to Blackburn Rovers, while Alfie Jones has joined Middlesbrough, and Steven Alzate is finalising a move across the Atlantic to join Atlanta United, bringing in valuable income.
Ilicali says all those players move on with his best wishes, but believes none of the three would be first-choice starters in Jakirovic’s new-look Tigers side.
Akin Famewo will be added to the ranks after he swapped Sheffield Wednesday for City, joining fellow new arrivals Dillon Phillips and Semi Ajayi. Talks over the future of Gustavo Puerta and Reda Laalaoui remain ongoing with the EFL, and it’s hoped a deal can still be struck for midfielder Oscar Zambrano.
City play their first domestic friendly in front of supporters on Saturday when they tackle League One side Stockport County at Edgeley Park, looking for a fourth straight pre-season win, before newly-promoted Premier League outfit Sunderland visit the MKM Stadium on Tuesday night.
Jakirovic’s side then round-off their schedule next Saturday when Spanish La Liga side Getafe arrive in East Yorkshire a week out from the season opener at Coventry City.
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