Traore’s City deal is nearly complete
ANOTHER THREE TO SIGN PRIOR TO MARBELLA TRIP
Hull City are closing in on the first signing of the summer as Shota Arveladze’s big squad overhaul starts to take place at the MKM Stadium, ahead of what the club hope will be a push towards the top six next season.
Midfielder Adama Traore will complete the formalities of his free transfer switch in the next few days, having agreed a two-year contract with the Tigers, and the option of a third year.
The Malian international has left Turkish outfit Antalyaspor and has been a target for City ever since Acun Ilicali bought the club in January.
City are also close to three other signings and expect to have them signed by the time Arveladze’s squad fly out to Marbella for their summer training camp in early
July.
Of the three arrivals, one is expected to be a midfielder capable of operating in the number six role to replace departing skipper Richie Smallwood and a centre-forward.
Despite links in the Turkish press to Brazilian midfielder Fernando Martins and Ghana striker Benjamin Tetteh, the Mail has been told neither player will be coming to the MKM Stadium this summer.
“I would like them to be as quick as possible,” Ilicali told the Mail.
“My life is very quick, I’m like Speedy Gonzalez, but life is always like that and transfers are difficult.
“You have contact with the players but they have other offers, or maybe they wait for some offers.
“What I can guarantee is that money will never be one of the major things.
“The deal is depending on the player understanding our project and believing in us and I’m happy that we are in a good place with four players at the moment.
“One of them is Traore. That is almost done and I can say that he is a very high-quality player playing for his national team in the Africa Cup of Nations.
“The others are in that level, too. I have had some personal conversations with three or four players because I’m very involved in critical conversations, I want to make the players believe in something so I have to be involved, and in some, Tan (Kesler - vicechairman) has asked me to be involved whenever needed.
“Everything is going good at the moment and we will try to bring them in before, so they can go on the training camp with Shota because he is asking for that, too.
“If you ask me what is your prediction about players arriving before the camp, I would say three or four names will arrive before the camp. Two or three will after the camp because transfers are not easy in football.”