Hull Daily Mail

Where City need to strengthen in transfer window

AND HOW THE TAKEOVER COULD PLAY SIGNIFICAN­T ROLE IN SIGNINGS

- By BARRY COOPER barry.cooper@reachplc.com @bazdjcoope­rit

And may not seem like five minutes nd just like that, the January transfer window is open. since the closure of the summer window at the end of August, but here we are, four months on and we get to do it all over again.

Those long, dark nights throughout the autumn and winter have come and gone, takeover talk has continued and here we at the point of assessing where Hull City need to strengthen in the next four weeks.

Setting the scene…

While other clubs will be trading as normal this month, City’s course is far from straightfo­rward given the backdrop of Acun Ilicali’s imminent takeover.

The Tigers are unable to bring players in until the deal is ratified by the EFL, so the longer the process drags on, the longer it will take for additions to be made.

That means there could be a fair chance of City missing out on preferred targets to rivals who do not have the looming prospect of a takeover hanging above their heads.

There’s also the small matter of a transfer embargo – or insert preferred name here – that prevents the club from buying any players while keeping their squad numbers to strict limits.

Those restrictio­ns form part of an agreement the club has with the EFL after vice-chairman Ehab Allam applied for and accepted a loan from during City’s season-long stay in League One which helped pay the club’s VAT bill to HMRC during the height of the Covid lockdown.

The loan will be settled as part of the takeover agreement between the Allam family and Ilicali, enabling City to trade normally again. However, should the takeover not happen, or be delayed, then City will remain under an embargo and only be able to sign players on free transfers or loan agreements.

What’s needed?

If the first 24 games have told us anything about City’s Championsh­ip credential­s then it’s the fact they’re lacking that killer instinct at both ends of the pitch.

It goes without saying that putting the ball in the net is the most challengin­g aspect of the game, hence why strikers command the biggest salaries and the significan­t transfer fees.

Just 20 goals have been scored by the City this term, and until the 2-0 win at Barnsley in early November, City were the lowest scorers throughout the entire EFL having hit the net just nine times. Things have improved somewhat since but it still remains a significan­t problem for Grant Mccann.

Losing 1-0 at Blackpool on New Year’s Day almost encapsulat­ed the first half of the campaign; really good chances going begging.

So, it’s therefore no surprise to know that Ilicali’s biggest transfer priority, is to bring in forward reinforcem­ents.

Elsewhere, I still feel a Curtis Davies-type figure is required at the back to complement the burgeoning careers of Jacob Greaves and Di’shon Bernard. Sean Mcloughlin has been nothing short of superb since coming into the side at the expense of Alfie Jones, and while

City patently look more comfortabl­e operating in a back three, the lack of a real leader has and continues to be a problem.

Davies, James Chester, Steve Cook are the profile we’re talking about and while those are unavailabl­e, there are players out there with the attributes needed to provide a little bit of nous.

Mass change needed?

No, not in the slightest. City have the nucleus of a very good Championsh­ip squad.

It has talent running from back to front, but it just needs a little help to ensure it can get through the second half of the season and to ensure safety. Once we then get to the summer, City can take stock of where they are and look at what’s needed for another assault on the second tier.

Any departures?

Given City are working within certain restrictio­ns, it’s hard to imagine any players being allowed to depart, particular­ly as most of them have all been involved at some point during the campaign.

The one you could see being moved on in the next month is Matt Smith, the Manchester City youngster on loan at the club.

Smith has really struggled to make an impact, and in truth, has seemingly never recovered from the October internatio­nal break when he went away with Wales before returning with fitness levels which left Mccann far from impressed. His last appearance came at Stoke in September, and while he’s been on the bench recently, he hasn’t got on the pitch, and his place in the squad could be better used elsewhere.

It’s important to add the caveat to all these discussion­s remains the outcome of the takeover as that will inevitably have a huge bearing on business.

Lots of speculatio­n will be centred on Lewispotte­r and Greaves, though it’s distinctly unlikely either will be leaving the club in the next month.

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 ?? CRAIG THOMAS/ NEWS IMAGES ?? Sean Mcloughlin speaks to Keane Lewis-potter
CRAIG THOMAS/ NEWS IMAGES Sean Mcloughlin speaks to Keane Lewis-potter
 ?? MARTIN RICKETT/ PA WIRE ?? Hull City’s head coach Grant Mccann at Blackpool
MARTIN RICKETT/ PA WIRE Hull City’s head coach Grant Mccann at Blackpool

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