Hull City owner makes Jaden Philogene admission ahead of potential Aston Villa return | OneFootball

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali believes Aston Villa may not sign Jaden Philogene even if they want to secure a return for the winger, making this admission to the Daily Mirror.

The Tigers pulled off a real coup during the summer to bring the winger to the MKM Stadium, sealing a permanent deal for the ex-Villa man.

This deal has paid dividends for the Tigers, with Philogene providing a return on the club's investment in him.

However, he could leave the East Yorkshire side just a year after joining them, with interest mounting in his signature.

Tottenham Hotspur were previously reported to be leading the race for the 22-year-old, who may find it tempting to make the move to the English capital to join the Premier League team.

He is also attracting interest from Crystal Palace and the Netherlands, with Ajax thought to be keen on him.

Whether they will have the finances to get a deal over the line remains to be seen, but he would have ex-Middlesbrough man Chuba Akpom for company if he moves to the Dutch giants.

The Tigers may be more concerned about Villa and their potential future interest though, with Unai Emery's side having a buy-back option.

They would need to pay just £15m to recruit him again - a bargain for the Midlands outfit if Philogene can keep firing.

Ilicali, who has shown real ambition during his time at the MKM Stadium, is clearly desperate to keep hold of his star winger.

Speaking about Villa's buy-back clause, he told the Daily Mirror: "We don't have any fear about Philogene getting bought back by Aston Villa. The buy-back option is only available if we get promoted.

"If Jaden wants to play with us and he doesn't want to go to Villa, with the good relationship with the club we will ask for their permission to keep him.

"I believe that every player should be where they are happy. If Jaden's decision is to stay with Hull City if we go to the Premier League, I'm confident Aston Villa will not make us disappointed."

Jaden Philogene needs to weigh up his future carefully

Clearly, Philogene is a player who is attracting interest from elsewhere.

And if Hull don't go up at the end of this term, he could potentially want to move away from the MKM Stadium.

However, he needs to prioritise game time at this delicate stage of his career and if he stays with the Tigers for at least one more season, he could continue to develop rapidly.

And if he can develop rapidly, it will only be a matter of time before he's offered a starting spot in the top flight.

Philogene needs to bide his time and not rush into anything, because that could be detrimental to his career.