Hull City: Gustavo Puerta situation explained amid €3m permanent transfer clause claim | OneFootball

More light has been shed on the Gustavo Puerta situation at Hull City, amid claims of him being intentionally left out of the starting XI.

Hull City have continued to fight that the reason for Gustavo Puerta not being picked is not down to an apperance threshold that could trigger a permanent transfer.

The Colombian joined the Tigers on loan from reigning Bundesliga champions, Bayer Leverkusen, in the summer. This deal does include an option to purchase the attacker permanently in the summer of 2025.

However, the midfielder has been out of the starting 11 for the last handful of matches, despite being one of the club's more impressive individuals out on the pitch this season.

This has led to speculation that his recent exile from the Hull squad is to prevent him triggering an appearance clause, which would make his permanent signing an obligation in the summer, with the Tigers potentially not wanting to pay the €3m fee.

Gustavo Puerta, Hull City situation cleared up amid transfer talk

Following a 1-1 draw with Norwich City on Saturday, Hull Live has revealed that the club is maintaining the Puerta predicament is down to footballing reasons, and the Colombian is still some way off reaching the appearances required to trigger the move.

Speculation regarding the situation of the Colombian once again rose on Saturday, as he was named on the bench for Hull's clash with Norwich, but failed to get off it.

Of course, this prevents him from working his way towards that tally that's required to make the transfer permanent.

Despite the ongoing rumblings in the background, HullLive reported on Sunday morning that Ruben Selles believes he has better options at his disposal, and there is no conspiracy behind Puerta's lack of appearances recently.

They continued that the club are still fighting their corner over this hot topic of discussion, amid claims that they can't afford the €3m fee that would have to go Leverkusen's way, should he reach a specific number of appearances for the Tigers. The club has rubbished these claims, as their sources have indicated that Hull want to make the move permanent.

Ruben Selles issues Gustavo Puerta selection claim

After his side's 1-1 draw with the Canaries on Saturday afternoon, Selles was quizzed on the speculation surrounding the Leverkusen loanee's situation, but maintained the stance that his lack of involvement was purely down to footballing reasons.

"It's purely selection. I think I already mentioned that I know that there is a number there and the contract, but if I think that he is the best option for us, I will use him," Selles said.

"I think the competition after the transfer window has been massive in his position mainly, and I probably have not been fair with him, but I need to make a decision.

"I think Gustavo is an amazing player. He did really well for us, but I have been making some other decisions in that position."

With that in mind, it seems that Hull aren't trying to prevent Puerta from reaching an appearance threshold for a fee they can't afford, and the midfielder hasn't merited a spot in the starting squad over recent weeks, according to his current manager.

However, this will be one to keep an eye on in the final few months of the season to see if he manages to force his way back into the starting 11, and whether or not that clause ends up being triggered.