‘We’ll have to wait to get the best on loans’
ILICALI WARNS TIGERS MUST BE PATIENT
Hull City are prepared to be patient in their quest to bolster their ranks in this summer’s transfer market, according to ambitious owner Acun Ilicali. City know they must sign eight to 10 new players to give Tim Walter a genuine chance of bettering the seventh-placed finish his predecessor Liam Rosenior achieved last season.
The transfer market will be a difficult beast to navigate this summer with clubs all over the country battling with stringent Financial Fair Play rules, and City are no different to that and must cut their cloth accordingly.
Last term, Liam Delap arrived just before City’s players jetted out for their pre-season training camp in Istanbul, while the likes of
Jaden Philogene and Tyler Morton didn’t arrive until deadline day on the eve of their terrific win at Leicester City.
Another key part of City’s transfer strategy this summer surrounds Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene.
The pair are attracting interest and have a high value, which, if sold, would make a big difference to Walter’s transfer kitty, and though the club do not want to lose either, they’re realistic to know it might make business sense.
Ilicali says the club would ideally like to get business done early and give Walter as much time on the training pitch with his new recruits as possible, he also accepts that some deals will go the distance, especially high-profile Premier League loans and that City must hold their nerve.
“It is important, of course, to get players in early, but don’t forget when you’re trying to get your business done early at this time you can miss good opportunities,” the Turkish businessman told the Mail.
“The big clubs decide about some loans after their pre-season camps.
“If we are talking about our loan players, we have to wait to get the best.
“This is, unfortunately, the rule of football at the moment that the team will face and this is a difficulty, but not just for us, for many clubs. Of course, we would like to have them in the preseason, but I think he will not have new arrivals ready in the first week of pre-season.
“Our team structure with some incomings will be enough for him (Walter) and he will enjoy it.”