A long and testing transfer period has finally come to an end for the Tigers
Barry is the Hull City correspondent, and previously covered Nottingham Forest for the Nottingham Post/Nottinghamshire Live. Barry has reported on Hull City’s League One title success and Championship campaigns
As summer transfer windows go, there can not have been too many like the one we’ve just stumbled through at Hull City, and there will be a collective sigh of relief that it’s now over.
All talk of transfers, trying to structure deals, and who will come and who will go can be parked for a little while at least, until it all kicks off again in January for four weeks of condensed silliness at the start of the New Year.
A chaotic period during the most bizarre of summers ended as it started for City, with a young, talented, highly-rated midfielder arriving on a permanent deal.
Unfortunately, one of them has not yet played a single minute of football in a Tigers jersey, while the other hopes he has a great deal more success.
In the case of Reda Laalaoui, City’s first signing back in mid-June, he’s fallen victim to the transfer restrictions that were imposed on the club by a very angry EFL at the start of July.
At the other end of the spectrum, Darko Gyabi closed the club’s business on Monday when he arrived from close neighbours Leeds United, who, in fairness, have played their part over the past few months.
In waiving a loan fee for fan favourite Joe Gelhardt and now releasing a player they paid £5m for a couple of years ago, the much-maligned West Yorkshire club couldn’t have done much more to help their near neighbours in their latest hour of need.
City’s summer has been fraught with trouble. From the moment the EFL dispatched a pigeon carrying a post-it note from HQ in Preston informing them they couldn’t buy anyone for almost two years, it’s been a case of making the best of a bad situation.
Whether the club were harshly treated or not by the EFL is now a moot point because the punishment stands, and they’ve got to move on. Ultimately, they are where they are, and cannot wallow in self-pity, anger or frustration. They’ve not helped themselves, and Acun Ilicali knows lessons must be learned, but some of their work has been tremendous and showed genuine ambition in bringing in certain figures and keeping others.
Any hope of signing players like Matija Frigan, Lewis O’Brien, Owen Beck, Lewis Koumas, Anthony Musaba and Louie Barry came and went. It was the £3.5m deal to sign Barry from Villa that kick-started a chain of events just days after Sergej Jakirovic was introduced to the media which led to the club being in all sorts of bother.
In fairness to the Tigers, on paper at least, their window has been quite something. Bringing in Oliver McBurnie took an age and was on and off before he finally joined. McBurnie’s arrival almost became the symbol of the summer, and being able to get him in was a significant capture, and on the back of a positive pre-season campaign, further raised spirits.
McBurnie’s saga-like move wasn’t the only one. In many ways, it was eclipsed by the domino deal that needed Abu Kamara to join Getafe, to free up space in the squad for Amir Hadziahmetovic to complete his move from Besiktas to the MKM Stadium.
Bosnian Hadziahmetovic has trained with the Tigers and was pencilled in to be involved at Bristol City, only for Kamara’s move to hit a snag because of Getafe’s own transfer issues in La Liga, so it was put on hold. It was the window that proved unrelenting; rarely did a minute pass without something happening or, at the very least, changing.
Even on Monday, Kamara was nervously waiting to see if the Spanish FA would rubber-stamp his move, or if he’d be sent on loan to Swansea. From Madrid to The Mumbles on a Monday afternoon. For Kamara, his sigh of relief was palpable, and it could be heard in Cottingham because it meant Hadziahmetovic’s long-awaited arrival could be wrapped up.
Spare a thought for the poor member of media staff at Besiktas who had been sitting waiting since Friday to press the button. He can finally go home for a rest until January.
John Lundstram and Enis Destan arrived from Trabzonspor, who were named in legal documents relating to City’s appeal, which saw their three-window ban reduced to two pending any further indiscretions that would see that third window activated.
On paper, the arrivals of Semi Ajayi and Akin Famewo look really good. Especially after seeing League One promotion-winning heroes Alfie Jones and Sean McLoughlin depart, but unfortunately, both are out injured. In the case of Ajayi, he’s been a huge loss and in truth, had it not been for his injury problems of last season, West Brom probably would not have let him move on. Ultimately, that’s the situation City find themselves in when it comes to the market they’re shopping in.
Joel Ndala is an exciting talent and has shown promise. David Akintola’s performance in the 4-2 humbling at Ashton Gate on Saturday gave real cause for encouragement.
Their predicament has certainly seen the club adjust their sights, and perhaps a beneficiary of that is Brandon Williams. The former Manchester United talent has endured a nightmare couple of years culminating in a suspended jail sentence back in May, and Jakirovic has offered him an olive branch.
If, and it’s a big if, the Tigers boss can get him fit, confident and playing regularly, then there’s no doubt that there’s a player in there and that could be big plus.
While there’s been plenty of incomings, City have moved off high earners Dogukan Sinik, Joao Pedro, Steven Alzate and Marvin Mehlem, one of last summer’s failed additions in that crazy end to the window.
Considering the financial constraints the club have been working under, whilst trying to sell a dream to players that will have noted last season’s struggles, few could argue that this window has been a major plus.
They’ve strengthened the top third of the pitch, have an exciting attacking line-up both out wide and through the middle, a genuine goal threat in between the sticks and have managed to fend off extensive interest in Charlie Hughes, turning down as much as £10m from Coventry City.
Ivor Pandur has remained amid no shortage of admiring glances from elsewhere, and other key performers will still be here by the time the Tigers head to South Wales in 10 days or so. Mohamed Belloumi is making great strides in his recovery, Liam Millar isn’t too far off and Eliot Matazo could be back at Christmas.
Jakirovic now knows what his squad looks like until January at least. He will just pray it can stay healthy and he has the best chance of putting out his strongest team.
On paper, this looks like about as good as the club could have hoped for given their restrictions. The overall success of it can only be judged in a few months’ time when we’ve seen these players in action, and hopefully, playing consistently, because that is the acid test. Durability and consistency in performance, but despite everything, their squad is probably as strong as it has been since Liam Rosenior was in charge. Football, as we know, is not played on paper. Now it’s time to prove it.
It’s been a journey. A journey along one of those roads with copious amounts of annoyingly high and frustratingly placed speed bumps. The ones that make you feel like you’re on a battered boat in the middle of the North Sea during Storm Dave. By the time you get to the end, you feel battered and bruised, but relieved you’ve made it and only have to contend with the odd pot hole for the rest of your journey.
That’s what this summer has been like for City, and while they will remain firmly on the EFL’s naughty step for the foreseeable future, at least that’s in the past, for now, and the manager can focus on the players he’s got in his dressing room, and we wish him well.
How do you rate City’s summer transfer business? Have your say in the comments below….
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