Ray Parlour issues "important" warning to Hull City amid Sheffield Wednesday, Man City pursuits | OneFootball

Pundit Ray Parlour says it is essential that his former club Hull City bring in a striker this summer amid links to Sheffield Wednesday's Josh Windass and Manchester City youngster Liam Delap.

It has been a summer of change at the MKM Stadium with former Hamburg boss Tim Walter replacing Liam Rosenior, who was surprisingly sacked despite leading the Tigers to a seventh-placed finish in the Championship this season.

Walter will be hoping to guide Hull to promotion this season, but it could be a busy few months ahead for the German in the transfer market, and he will certainly need to strengthen in the attacking areas.

Loanees Fabio Carvalho, Anass Zaroury, Noah Ohio, and Delap have all returned to their parent clubs, while Aaron Connolly and Billy Sharp have been released at the end of their contracts, and Jaden Philogene could attract interest from elsewhere.

Hull chairman Tan Kesler has revealed the club are keen to re-sign Manchester City striker Delap this summer, but he is said to be on the radar of newly-promoted Premier League side Southampton, and journalist Alan Nixon claims the 21-year-old will be sold to a Premier League club to ease City's FFP issues.

Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass, who scored seven goals in 28 games for the Owls this season, was linked with the Tigers earlier this month, but he is now on the verge of signing a new contract at Hillsborough.

Hull may now need to turn their attention elsewhere in their search for attacking reinforcements, and owner Acun Ilicali has revealed he is only able to spend around £14 million this summer due to the EFL's financial regulations.

Parlour: Hull City must sign a striker this summer

With deals for Delap and Windass now looking unlikely, Parlour said it is important that Hull find alternatives to the pair, admitting that a prolific number nine could make the difference in the Tigers' promotion push.

"With so many games, you must have a number of strikers who can score goals. There isn’t a lot between most of the Championship teams and it’s the ones with good strikers who can be up in the play-off spots," Parlour told Football League World exclusively, via NetBet Casino.

"Some games it may just not be happening, but then you bring a striker off the bench who can score a goal and nick a win. It’s so important to have these types of players in your squad.

Acun Ilicali must prioritise Hull City striker signing this summer

With Ilicali revealing that Hull will be restricted in the transfer market this summer, it is crucial that the Tigers invest in the right areas of the team.

Delap scored eight goals in 32 games for Hull this season, but his reported £10 million price tag would take up too much of the club's budget, and it is unlikely they would be able to match a potential offer from Southampton.

It will be a huge blow for the Tigers if they are unable to bring Delap back to the club, but it is arguably Carvalho who will be the biggest miss next season after the outstanding impact he made after arriving on loan from Liverpool in January.

Ilicali will provide Walter with the funds to bolster his forward line this summer, and as Parlour says, finding a goalscorer should be the biggest priority for Hull over the coming months.