Hull City transfer reveal is a warning to Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland: View | OneFootball

Hull City still retain an outside chance of making a last dash into the Championship play-off places, but they will be relying on the downfall of one of the teams currently occupying those spots and games are quickly running out to catch up.

That means that at a certain level in the club, preparations for another season in the second tier will likely be underway, and the early signs are that they mean business at the MKM Stadium.

There has been intense interest in some of their key stars, including the likes of Jaden Philogene and Jacob Greaves, but the Tigers are likely to put up a fight to try and hold onto their players.

The signals coming out of the club may well strike fear into the clubs that intend to be up in the automatic promotion spots this time next year.

Hull intend to hold key figures

Two names in particular that multiple Premier League sides are taking an interest in are Philogene and Greaves, but a recent report suggests that Hull are setting out with the intention of holding on to their key names to remain competitive into next season.

A shock late promotion for Hull may make that difficult in the case of Philogene, with former club Aston Villa holding a £15million buy-back clause, but that only activates if Hull rise into the top flight.

If the Tigers remain in the second tier and fend off Premier League interest in their two stars, it will be some signal of intent for those looking to compete for promotion next term.

Reason for interest in Philogene and Greaves is clear

Both Philogene and Greaves, aged 22 and 23 respectively, have been key to a relatively strong season for Hull and still have years ahead of them to develop.

Greaves has shown maturity beyond his years this season and is already being touted as a ready-made replacement for Everton's Jarrod Branthwaite, should the Toffees' defender depart this summer, after Greaves was included in the EFL's Championship Team of the Season.

Appearing 40 times in the league this season, such accolades at a relatively young age for a defender playing at a high level will naturally make outside observers wonder where his ceiling is, and Hull will need to work hard to beat off the offers that will likely come in for him.

The same is true for Philogene, the young winger appearing less frequently due to a knee injury but still contributing heavily to the attacking output of the Tigers.

Having two young yet assured stars at either end of the pitch brings an enviable and energetic balance to this Hull side, and with a couple of quality additions in the summer, the team could be one to fear next season.

Keeping young stars may worry fellow promotion hopefuls

After relatively promising seasons and the emergence of pivotal figures for the likes of Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, they will all be hoping they can charge towards the automatic spots, with some of the larger teams likely to be promoted this time around.

Hull are unlikely to be the first team that the trio thinks about when weighing up next season's competition, but just holding on to two of their young stars in the face of Premier League advances will be enough for other contenders to sit up and take notice, as it will be a strong nod to the project they are building behind the scenes.

If the Tigers then go and add a couple of quality signings into the mix, they may well start to find themselves included as one of the teams to watch when the new campaign starts.

Their intention to hold Philogene and Greaves will serve as a warning shot to those clubs they are likely to be competing with next season, and it has surely been heard loud and clear outside of the MKM Stadium.