Hull City emerge as contender for Man City transfer deal amid Cardiff & Portsmouth interest | OneFootball

Hull City have reportedly shown an interest in Alex Robertson

Hull City have emerged as potential suitors in the race to land Manchester City midfielder Alex Robertson.

That is according to an update from BBC Sport Wales' football correspondent, Rob Phillips, who claims that the East Yorkshire outfit ihave joined divisional rivals Cardiff City and Portsmouth in the hunt for the Australia international.

The Tigers are thin on the ground across their squad at present, with it now being under two weeks until Tim Walter takes charge of his first competitive outing against Bristol City at the MKM Stadium.

Hull bid farewell to a number of stars and long-serving performers in the off-season, which included the likes of Greg Docherty, Tyler Morton, Fabio Carvalho and Ozan Tufan, as the majority were key presences in deeper or more advanced role under Walter's predecessor, Liam Rosenior.

Walter has been brutally honest in a recent assessment of the squad currently at his disposal, stating that the depth and quality among his new charges at present isn't sufficient to match the club's well-publicised aims under his management.

However, whilst a number of potential signings continue to be linked with a move, only two have officially been confirmed at present, in the form of Ryan Giles and Cody Drameh.

But, a move for the aforementioned Robertson would definitely give City fans plenty of reason for optimism.

Hull City enter the race to sign Alex Robertson

Once again, the emergence of Hull in the transfer saga involving the Australian midfielder has come through BBC Sport Wales' football correspondent, Rob Phillips, in an update via his X profile on Monday afternoon.

This came in response to some questions concerning the state of play regarding transfers at City's divisional rivals Cardiff City, who also hold a strong interest in striking a deal for the 21-year-old.

It was revealed by WalesOnline that Robertson has been placed on a three-man shortlist by Erol Bulut, as the Turk looks to bolster the Bluebirds' options in the centre of the park.

It is reported that Cardiff are looking into the possibility of a permanent deal, although Manchester City are looking at extending Robertson's contract at the Etihad Stadium, which currently expires next June, therefore potentially making a loan move the more viable option.

Hull City face strong Portsmouth competition for Alex Robertson

However, it has also been claimed by Paul Abbandonato that Robertson may not be the first-choice when it comes to who the South Wales outfit are looking to acquire in the middle of the park, which could have handed divisional rivals such as Hull and Portsmouth an edge as they look to pursue their own deals.

Robertson was a key component to John Mousinho's side in the first half of last season as a creative and combative midfielder, proven by metrics such as four assists and 4.8 ball recoveries per game, before unfortunately tearing his hamstring in training back in January, ruling him out for the season.

Despite only making 23 appearances in Pompey's League One-winning campaign, the impression he left on those at the club is there for all to see, with Mousinho stating that the club will look to make a deal possible for the two-time Socceroos international to return to Fratton Park after not being a part of Pep Guardiola's pre-season tour of the USA.

Mousinho said via The News: “In terms of Alex, it’s still with Manchester City as of this moment and he’s still with their squad."

“I know he’s not gone away to the States and it’s something we’re definitely interested in," he added.

"I think it still is (the deal is still alive). Until Alex tells us different, we are still interested."

“We’d be open to both options (loan or permanent deals), getting good players to our football club is the priority.”

Alex Robertson would be a solid addition to Hull City's midfield

Despite never featuring at Championship level, Robertson would be a solid addition to the Tigers midfield, which is currently low on numbers.

Having pulled up such numbers in an injury-ravaged campaign on the South Coast, the Australian will definitely feel he has a point to prove in the next stage of his development, and given City's recent record with young loanees, it is an option that is definitely worth considering from the player's point of view.

Furthermore, we've seen a number of youngsters from the Etihad showcase their true potential in the second tier, such as James McAtee and Tommy Doyle, who were a part of Sheffield United's promotion-winning team of two years ago, and Hull's own success with the now Ipswich Town striker, Liam Delap means the club have surely earned the Premier League champions' trust when it comes to a potential loan agreement with Robertson.

The Aussie also has an exceptional record of 20 goals and eight assists for the U18 and U23 ranks at Man City, and whilst Championship football is a different ballpark altogether, this would be an exciting signing if Hull were able to fend off such strong interest.