Hull City: £3m deal means January exit talk makes complete sense | OneFootball

The addition of Eliot Matazo means exit talk surrounding Xavier Simons is understandable

Given their current predicament, it's no surprise that Ruben Selles is looking to ring the changes at Hull City.

In a continuation to the themes of transfer windows gone by during Acun Ilicali's three-year reign as chairman in East Yorkshire, the Tigers have been linked with a variety of homegrown talents and continental exports.

Many would argue that there is a greater need to focus on the first of those two categories, although Hull have already managed to complete deals for the experienced Matt Crooks and Joe Gelhardt, who scored a remarkable first goal in Black and Amber on Tuesday night, albeit in defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

Prior to the transfer window, it was well-documented that City's 25-man squad was almost pushed to its limits, although the opportunity to de-register the banned Oscar Zambrano alongside the injured Liam Millar and Mohamed Belloumi would have allowed some form of leeway on this front.

However, with plenty of deals still in the pipeline or nearing completion, it makes complete sense that exit talk continues to surround some of those still at the club, as it would only benefit their careers in the short or long-term for a start.

Eliot Matazo is set to join Hull City to bolster Ruben Selles' midfield options

One of those deals which is set to be nearing completion is the acquisition of AS Monaco's 22-year-old midfielder, Eliot Matazo, who watched from the stands as City suffered a 14th league defeat of the season in midweek.

Matazo comes with the reputation of being a defensive-minded player in the centre of the park, which ticks several boxes for Hull at this moment in time, having lacked a player with such attributes as far back as last season, when the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Tyler Morton leaned towards a more technical outlook alongside Regan Slater.

Having made 84 appearances for the Principality club since breaking into the first-team picture as an 18-year-old, the Belgian comes with a relatively strong pedigree and will be looking to further his career, after seeing his gametime at the Stade Louis II reduced in recent seasons, as well as a loan move to Royal Antwerp.

The most successful season for Matazo in a Monaco shirt came in the 2022/23 season, where he was handed 23 appearances and 13 starts.

Across the course of his time with the club, Matazo's defensive stats have often fluctuated, which is to be expected as a result of inconsistent gametime.

But, in the 22/23 campaign, half of his tackles were in the middle third of the pitch, which will be key if he can emulate and better such numbers as Hull look to win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible, instead of being overrun in the middle.

Furthermore, this reported £3m acquisition means it makes sense as to why Swedish giants, AIK, are looking to acquire the services of Xavier Simons, who has endured a mixed time with Hull.

Eliot Matazo arrival could pave the way for Xavier Simons exit

It has been reported by SportsBladet that the Stockholm-based side have made contact with the former Chelsea academy graduate, and that talks "should be ongoing".

Whether this deal would be a loan agreement or permanent exit for the 21-year-old remains to be seen, but given Hull's transfer activity, it does seem like a set of unlikely circumstances would have to unfold for Simons to become a regular starter once more, having featured fairly often under Tim Walter.

But, the fact the midfielder has only made four appearances - all from the bench - under Selles, seems to tell its own story as these links to Sweden unfold.

Despite being signed under Shota Arveladze, Simons failed to make an appearance under the Georgian, and was eventually signed permanently by Liam Rosenior in March 2023 after breaking into the side at the turn of the year.

However, given the strong options Hull had in midfield last season, the London-born man was sent on loan to Fleetwood Town, and made a fairly strong impression when fit due to injury issues, regardless of the Cod Army suffering relegation to League Two.

This season, despite Walter's decision to rarely utilise the services of his midfielders in play, Simons was arguably one of Hull's better performers, particularly in the month of October, which was rewarded with back-to-back goals against Burnley and Derby County.

However, with Gustavo Puerta and Steven Alzate now Selles' go-to options alongside Slater, the addition of Crooks and the pending arrival of Matazo, Simons' nose has now been stuck out of joint, and it makes complete sense as to why clubs are monitoring his situation, as it would be extremely beneficial for all parties.