Football League World
·22 July 2024
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·22 July 2024
The Tigers are looking to bolster their squad for the upcoming Championship campaign
Hull City are looking into the acquisitions of Miguel Crespo of Fenerbahçe and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward, Song Min-Kyu.
That's according to fresh reports coming out of Türkiye and South Korea, as the Tigers look to add further bodies to a squad thin on the ground so far in pre-season.
Tim Walter's side are motoring through the gears in terms of their own preparations for the upcoming Championship campaign, but the rebuilding job the German has been tasked with in his first venture into English football has been laid bare as City continuously look to replace a number of high-profile departures so far this summer.
At present, only one permanent acquisition has been made, which saw left-back Ryan Giles complete his reported £4m move from Luton Town through an obligation-to-buy in the initial loan agreement between the two clubs back in January.
This has led to sections of supporters raising concerns about the club's strategy in the summer window, despite Walter and Acun Ilicali's best efforts to offer some form of reassurance.
However, if these two potential deals were to be completed sooner rather than later, optimism ahead of the new campaign could slowly start to be restored at the MKM Stadium.
In recent days, City's interest in Fenerbahce midfielder, Miguel Crespo, has only seemed to have intensified.
It was first reported by Turkish journalist, Barış Yurduseven, last week that Walter wants to acquire the Portuguese "very badly", before an article from Turkish outlet, Sok Gazetesi, claimed that City would pay the Istanbul-based outfit, who defeated them 5-1 in a friendly on Thursday night, approximately $15m in a triple swoop for Crespo, Rade Krunic and Miha Zajc.
The latest update regarding Crespo's potential move to East Yorkshire has come from Averaj, who exclusively reported on Sunday night that Ilicali is monitoring the 27-year-old's situation at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium "closely", despite it being claimed that the Lyon-born man has other ambitions ahead of playing in the second tier of English football.
Since moving to Turkiye in September 2021, Crespo has made 85 appearances for José Mourinho's new outfit, but was loaned out to Rayo Vallecano in January with an option-to-buy, but that wasn't taken up after just 15 appearances for the Spanish side.
It remains to be seen whether City press ahead with the reported triple swoop or whether Crespo would be an individual signing, but his presence would no doubt go some way to filling a major void in the middle of the park, which has been present after the Tigers lost the services of Ozan Tufan, Tyler Morton and Greg Docherty in the off-season.
Furthermore, it has been revealed on Monday morning by South Korean outlet, Daum Sports Donga, that the MKM Stadium is the likely next destination for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward, Song Min-Kyu.
The report states: “Song Min-Kyu’s move to Europe is getting closer. He recently received a love call from Hull City.” after stating that the Tigers have expressed their interest in the 24-year-old over the last month, and that personal discussions between the two parties are "underway".
City are believed to have made it clear that they can afford the overseas transfer buyout clause in Min-Kyu's contract, which is said to be in the region of $1.5m, which was inserted following his move to Jeonbuk from Pohang Steelers three years ago.
It's clear that the striking department is one which needs a major overhaul in terms of new players, but Hull have missed out on both Zan Celar and Kieffer Moore this window, with the two front men signing for Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield United respectively.
The 13-time international is yet to score for his country, but he boasts a rather impressive record in the J.League 1, netting 36 times in 160 overall appearances in the regular and post-season matches in the division for both Pohang and Jeonbuk, and was once a target for Ange Postecoglou during his Celtic days alongside Fenerbahce and Udinese.
At such a bargain cost, this deal would represent a major coup for the Tigers and go towards Ilicali's previous statement that "eight or nine" new additions would be made at least prior to transfer deadline day.