Hull City set to land potential Jacob Greaves replacement in Man City transfer agreement | OneFootball

The Tigers are on the verge of strengthening their ranks at centre-back - but it's not Wigan Athletic starlet Charlie Hughes that is arriving

Hull City are on the verge of strengthening their depth in defence, with Man City youngster Finley Burns on the verge of becoming a Tigers player for the 2024-25 season.

As per a report from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Burns will sign a season-long loan deal at the MKM Stadium with the Tigers, joining Tim Walter's squad in a move that will not include an option to buy.

And despite links to Wigan Athletic youngster Charlie Hughes, who looked set to be the long-term Jacob Greaves replacement at one point following his move to Ipswich Town, the first centre-back through the door is poised to be Burns instead.

Hull City set to land Man City defender Finley Burns

Hull have so far had a frustrating summer transfer window, missing out on some key targets due to hijackings, which has drastically affected their recruitment at the top end of the pitch with both Kieffer Moore and Brandon Thomas-Asante joining Championship rivals Sheffield United and Coventry City respectively.

They have added Cody Drameh and midfielder Marvin Mehlem respectively though, and they are now set to be handed a defensive boost in the form of Burns.

The 21-year-old, who was snapped up by Premier League champions City in 2017 from Southend United as a 13-year-old, has appeared just once for the Etihad Stadium outfit in his career so far, coming off the bench in 2021 in an EFL Cup clash with Wycombe Wanderers.

After a half-season stint at Swansea City in 2021-22 failed to go to plan for Burns, where he appeared just three times under Russell Martin, Burns spent 2023-24 on loan in League One with Stevenage, appearing 43 times in all competitions as they achieved a ninth-placed finish in the third tier of English football.

Despite starting the majority of his games last season as a defensive midfielder, Burns is naturally a centre-back by trade, having predominantly featured there for Man City at youth and under-21 level in recent years.

Hull City need to add more than Finley Burns to their defensive ranks

The addition of Burns will be a welcome one for the Tigers faithful, but Tim Walter will know that more depth at the back is needed to replace the massive departure of Greaves.

Burns is still honing his craft in professional football, but City clearly see the Championship as the next step in his development. Perhaps the move to Swansea two-and-a-half years ago was a bit too soon for the towering 6ft 5in starlet, but Pep Guardiola and co are clearly happy for the 21-year-old to take his chance in the second tier once more.

With only Alfie Jones and Sean McLoughlin to compete with for now for a starting spot, Burns should get game-time in the early stages of 2024-25, even though Hughes presumably remains a target from Wigan, but even if Hull don't complete their raid of the League One side, more needs to be done in addition to Burns so that Walter's defensive unit is primed for the campaign to come.