City stay ‘hopeful’ of landing Baxter
HULL City remain hopeful of a breakthrough in their quest to sign Nathan Baxter from Premier League Chelsea.
Baxter spent last season on loan at the MKM Stadium and impressed sufficiently for the club to want him back.
It had been suggested that Baxter would be given a chance to impress Blues boss Thomas Tuchel during a summer of significant change at Stamford Bridge, following the takeover by Todd Boehly.
Discussions earlier this summer between City and the Premier League outfit were proving challenging because of the change in ownership on the King’s Road, but the Mail understands the Tigers have been given encouragement that Baxter will be allowed to move on this summer.
The 23-year-old has a year left on his current Chelsea deal and is yet to make a senior appearance and the Tigers, who returned to pre-season training at Cottingham on Monday, believe they are the frontrunners to complete a deal, though it remains unclear at this stage whether it would be a straight loan or a permanent sale.
City are in need of another stopper after allowing Harvey Cartwright to join Peterborough United on loan for the new season, while Matt Ingram penned a new threeyear deal a week ago, despite ending the campaign on loan at rivals Luton Town.
Ingram, who exchanged places with Baxter last term, says he’s relishing the competition another keeper would bring.
“We had a great working relationship and we got on really well,” he said of Baxter. “There is going to be competition whoever comes in. If it is Nathan, then that is great as we have worked with each other before.”
■■City have bolstered their ranks by agreeing a deal to sign Portuguese defender Tobias Figueiredo.
The 28-year-old was an unused substitute in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 Championship play-off final win over Huddersfield Town at Wembley last month, but played 26 times for the Reds in what proved to be a historic campaign.
He will become the fourth major signing at the MKM this summer, joining Allahyar Sayyadamnesh, Adama Traore and Ozan Tufan as City boss Shota Arveladze looks to strengthen his squad for the campaign.