Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has revealed his club’s summer transfer agenda and updates in a startlingly honest post.
Ilicali – known as a somewhat maverick owner – listed 14 transfers that the newly promoted Premier League side are working on this window.
The Turkish media magnate took over Hull in 2022, significantly reduced their debts, and has supported their return to the top flight for the first time since 2020.
A man known as the ‘Turkish Simon Cowell’ has fallen in love with the Yorkshire city and wants to give his all to keeping them up – but says he has been ‘disturbed’ by false rumours.
He wrote on X: ‘Dear Hull City family, We are reading dozens of false transfer rumors in many places.
‘We are disturbed by the claims that we have been rejected and by the use of our club’s name to gain attention. We have been working intensively for two months. I believe we will build a team that we will all be proud of.
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali says he is ‘disturbed’ by false transfer rumours – and so updated fans himself
‘To prevent false speculation and to give you more information, I am leaving you with our latest transfer situation, which includes some clues.’
He then listed the various deals they have been working on this summer, claiming that 14 were at least 60 per cent finished.
Ilicali did not make clear which reports he was calling false.
Daily Mail Sport have reported how Hull are keen on signing Sweden international left-back Elliot Stroud from Mjallby for £3m and Jamaica’s Leon Bailey which matches up to what Ilicali has hinted at.
We also reported they are trying to beat Ipswich Town to the signing of Japan’s Hidemasa Morita and have bid £13.6million for French midfielder Kevin Danois which again tallies up to Ilicali’s post.
They have already brought in goalkeeper Jack Butland from Rangers, midfielder Oscar Zambrano from Maribor, and full-back Matt Targett from Newcastle.
Ilicali also listed 11 other players whose deals are purportedly at various stages of completion, ranging from 60 to 99 per cent.
But teasing Hull’s fans, he did not give their names, only their nationalities.
The Tigers were promoted after Oli McBurnie scored a 95th-minute winner in the Championship play-off final against Middlesbrough.
They have pre-season friendlies against Turkish trio Konyaspor, Rizespor, and Kasimpasa before assignments against Eintracht Frankfurt and Nice.
A home clash against Manchester United awaits on their return to the Premier League on August 22.
