How City’s Dream Team could line up for season opener
BUT IT NEEDS THE TIGERS TO LAND ALL THEIR TARGETS
The doors are well and truly open at the MKM Stadium as Hull City get the ball rolling on a busy summer of signings. Shota Arveladze will be keen to bring in a host of additions in a bid to climb up the table and improve on last season’s 19th-place finish.
And Hull City owner Acun Ilicali will also be keen to make a good impression in his first window since taking over the club.
His Turkish links have already proven useful with Fenerbahce duo Ozan Tufan and Allahyar Sayyadmanesh - who impressed on loan last season - agreeing to join the club, while Hatayspor midfielder Adama Traore also looks set to sign for the Tigers.
They have been followed by recent news that the club are in talks with Portuguese centre-back Tobias Figueiredo, who was released by Nottingham Forest upon their promotion to the Premier League after four-and-a-half years and over 120 appearances at the City Ground.
He looks set to be the fourth major signing already this summer and there are due to be a few more.
Ex-fulham midfielder Jean Michael Seri has been linked with a move up north following his release from the newlypromoted club, while Haji Wright has also been targeted following 14 goals in 31 games for Turkish Super Lig outfit Antalyaspor.
Meanwhile, those in charge at the MKM Stadium are also hopeful of a £3m deal for MK Dons’ midfielder Scott Twine. The 22-year-old racked up 20 goals and 13 assists in 44 League One games last season and has attracted interest from a host of Championship sides.
If the club can secure the above links and keep the likes of Jacob Greaves and - fingers crossed - Keane Lewis-potter, then the starting line-up could be a massive improvement from last season’s.
Most notable would be midfield reinforcements, with Seri and Tufan likely to come straight into the midfield double-pivot, while Traore can be tasked with pushing further forward.
Wright will also be good competition for Iranian striker Sayyadmanesh, while Lewispotter and Twine would provide more than their fair share of attacking contribution from the wide roles.
Figueiredo’s addition into the defence could be hugely beneficial for 21-year-old Greaves, with the opportunity to play alongside an established top-level Championship centreback as he develops.
If City can carry out this dream transfer window then demands will be much higher than the 19th-place finish, but they can take inspiration from the likes of Huddersfield and Luton Town and know that a push up the table and potential play-off challenge could be on the cards.
Hull City dream starting lineup:
Matt Ingram; Lewie Coyle, Tobias Figueiredo, Jacob Greaves, Brandon Fleming; Jean Michael Seri, Ozan
Tufan; Scott Twine, Adama Traore, Keane Lewis-potter; Haji Wright