Hull City are set to increase their offer for Stoke City winger Sorba Thomas in a bid to get a deal done before Tuesday night’s transfer deadline.
The Tigers have already seen an opening bid rejected, which was thought to be worth in the region of £7m for the Welsh international, with £5m of that up front, but Stoke want upwards of £10m.
City, who were winners at Stoke on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, are keen to bring in the 27-year-old, who is viewed as a versatile performer, capable of operating on either wing or at full-back.
Thomas caught the eye against Sergej Jakirovic’s men in midweek, carving out the opening goal for Robert Bozenik, and then scoring his penalty in the shoot-out that the Tigers eventually won 5-4 to set up a third-round tie at Sunderland next month.
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It’s understood Thomas, who joined Stoke from Huddersfield Town last summer in a £1.5m deal having been close to a move to City in January 2025, is keen to move to the MKM Stadium and grasp the opportunity to play in the Premier League, and is thought to have made those feelings known to the Championship club.
Last term, Thomas was the Championship’s top assist maker with 13, while he chipped in with 10 goals for Mark Robins’ Potters, who is not surprised there is interest in his player.
“An update on Sorba? He’s our player. That’s the update. There’s nothing to report,” Robins told the Sentinel. “I was asked downstairs if it was strange for Sorba, but he’s our player; it’s not strange for him at all. He’s putting on the Stoke City shirt, which he’s proud to do, and put in a performance like he did. He’s made the goal, got another assist, there is nothing else to say.
“One hundred per cent, what you’ve said there is absolutely true. If people aren’t interested in Sorba Thomas, then they’re mental. The fact is that he had the highest output of any winger in the division last season, scored 10 goals, 13 goals he created, 23 goal involvements, and that’s something he can even surpass. I’d be shocked if people weren’t keen on him, but he’s our player, and he’s doing pretty well for us.”
City, meanwhile, expect to complete a deal for Mohamed-Ali Cho in time for him to feature at Coventry City on Saturday afternoon, while Ilyas Ansah is undergoing a medical at the MKM Stadium on Thursday. At this stage, it’s understood that the German Under-21 international may not be signed in time to be involved this weekend. As Hull Live revealed earlier this week, both are expected to sign five-year deals in East Yorkshire.
Ali Cho could be confirmed on Thursday, with it expected the French winger will be included in Sergej Jakirovic’s squad heading to the CBS Arena looking to make it successive Premier League wins.
Elsewhere, the Tigers will not be signing Deportivo La Coruna starlet Yeremay Hernandez, after the young Spanish winger opted to stay in La Liga, following the club’s promotion, and has moved on to other targets, though that is not expected to be Real Betis winger Pablo Garcia.
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