Tufan to be replaced? Hull City must sort these 3 issues before August 30th | OneFootball

Tim Walter has plenty of work to do in his first pre-season as Hull City boss

With the new Championship season soon approaching, time isn't fully of the essence for clubs in the second tier anymore.

Pre-season is imminent, whilst the transfer rumour mill is now in full swing after the summer window opened two weeks ago, circulating a plethora of rumours involving plenty of sought-after talent.

For Hull City, it's quite the pivotal summer as Tim Walter takes charge for his maiden experience of English football after being appointed in early June.

Despite there being a number of highly-rated individuals throughout the squad which the 48-year-old inherits from his predecessor, Liam Rosenior, it will no doubt prove to be a far from plain sailing rebuild for the former Hamburg SV head coach.

With that being said, here are four issues the club must look to address prior to the closure of the summer window on June 30th.

Sourcing an Ozan Tufan replacement

Starting off this list of dilemmas for Walter is that the Tigers must source an adequate replacement for Ozan Tufan as soon as possible, after his departure back to Türkiye to join Trabzonspor was confirmed.

Tufan's performances in a Black and Amber shirt blew hot and cold on occasions, but there's no dispute that when on song, the 65-time international playmaker was essential to how the side functioned, particularly when progressing the ball forward, as well as being prone to a number of exceptional goals.

It has been reported that the fee garnered by Hull is in the region of £1.7m, which may seem underwhelming given the 29-year-old's ability.

However, Walter is clearly someone who knows how to utilise players of a similar ilk, as Slovakian midfielder Laszlo Benes accumulated 19 of his 24 goal contributions for Hamburg prior to Walter's dismissal in February.

Therefore, it's imperative that the German uses his tactical nous alongside the recruitment team at the club to find the next cab off the rank in this regard in East Yorkshire, which could potentially be a younger alternative.

Adding serious attacking threat

Given the fact that Liam Delap and Noah Ohio have returned to Manchester City and Standard Liege respectively, whilst both Aaron Connolly and Billy Sharp were released from their contracts in HU3, The Tigers' hierarchy must pinpoint the striking department as an area which needs a major improvement in quality and in numbers.

CEO Tan Kesler has admitted that the club will be doing all they can to entice Delap to return, having become a favourite among supporters despite a three-month injury absence, whilst former Birmingham City loanee Jay Stansfield has recently been linked with a move to the MKM Stadium.

The pair of homegrown frontmen would make for a seriously exciting front line or, at worst, a more-than adequate option to source as a substitute, having scored 20 Championship goals between them last season.

Furthermore, Slovenian international Zan Celar has also been identified as a potential target after scoring 14 goals for FC Lugano last term, highlighting that Walter is already aware of the work that must be done in forward areas to make City serious play-off contenders under his guidance.

Clarity over the future of prized assets

It would do the world of good for everyone connected to the club if clarity over the immediate future of Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene was given as soon as possible, especially for the new head coach.

The duo have been the subject of interest from Premier League clubs for some time, which in Philogene's case, has also seen a surprise link to Barcelona recently emerge.

Many supporters wouldn't begrudge either of them when it comes to seeking the opportunity of playing top flight football, given their current standing as high-level second tier performers as well as their potential. But, ideally, the uncertainty surrounding both would be resolved prior to the first game of the season against Bristol City, never mind on transfer deadline day.

Greaves has been linked with the likes of Burnley, West Ham, Everton and, most recently, Ipswich Town, who are said to be starting their pursuit at around £10m, which is far from satisfactory as far as Hull are concerned, and rightly so in the eyes of many, with other reports suggesting his minimum valuation is at least £15m.

Meanwhile, Acun Ilicali has previously claimed that Philogene wouldn't be sold even for a £30m fee, as the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace have circled, whilst the aforementioned West Ham and Ipswich alongside Southampton have all joined the respective race.

Clarity in the early stages of pre-season when it comes to a potential departure for one - if not both - of Hull's prized assets would present Walter with a major influx of cash to aid his moulding of the squad, which could be needed after Ilicali's previous revelations regarding potential financial concerns surrounding the amount of cash he can personally inject into the club's coffers.