Football League World
·3 August 2024
Football League World
·3 August 2024
The Tigers are in need of new faces with the Championship season looming
It's no secret that a number of positions among the Hull City squad need adding to with quantity and quality in equal measure.
A number of seasoned Championship performers still remain among the Tigers squad, but numbers are still relatively thin on the ground amid sweeping changes across pre-season in East Yorkshire.
New boss Tim Walter has admitted that to fulfil the club's well-publicised ambitions of eventually returning to the Premier League since 2017, there are still a number of deals which will need to be made before the transfer window slams shut.
But, in order to make his side a real competitive force for when the new campaign gets off and running with a home outing against Bristol City, the 48-year-old will be hoping that some of those targets will have already come through the MKM Stadium door.
With that in mind, FLW pinpoints two deals which should be made priorities by the City hierarchy, and be completed before the aforementioned encounter against Liam Manning's side.
Recent reports have made Hull's aims of pursuing Canadian wide man Liam Millar no secret whatsoever, and a swifter conclusion to a potential deal would no doubt boost optimism for supporters heading into the opening day.
The FC Basel man is out of contract at St-Jakob Park at the conclusion of the season, meaning that a cut-price deal for the man who impressed last season at Preston North End could be viable, and the fending off of strong competition from the likes of Sheffield United would give the club an even greater sense of satisfaction.
Millar was deployed in a left-wing back role at Deepdale last season, but that didn't stop the former Liverpool man from venturing into attacking areas at will, and with the strong likelihood of featuring in a far more advanced starting role for the Tigers, it's a mouth-watering prospect when envisaging his potential metrics as a result.
The Toronto-born man's direct nature makes him a key asset in one-on-one situations against opposition defenders, which is a profile of player the Tigers are looking for in order to enhance the methods Walter has shown in pre-season, with depth and quality in this area of the field scarce at present having lost Jaden Philogene to Aston Villa.
Millar's performances have once again showed how flair players are better off when having a campaign of sustained second tier games under their belt, and at 26, he could definitely still offer Hull some re-sale value further down the line should his strong form continue.
A plethora of centre-forward options that former boss Liam Rosenior called upon last season are no longer with the club, meaning the recently-recalled Oscar Estupinan will most likely be the spearhead of Walter's attack for the forthcoming campaign.
And after the German admitted how the Colombian's profile suits his style of numerous chances being created - especially from out wide - the 27-year-old could add a significant tally to the 14 strikes already notched in Black and Amber since his free transfer to these shores back in 2022.
However, significant depth is required, and Hull should perhaps look to move for Iraqi forward Ali Al-Hamadi of Ipswich Town, who is said to not be a part of Kieran McKenna's squad for the forthcoming campaign, a stance which would have only increased following the Tractor Boys' acquisition of Liam Delap.
This comes after the former AFC Wimbledon man only made 14 appearances for the Blues last season, but that didn't stop him from showing his future pedigree as an established Championship-level striker with four goals, aiding Town's eventual return to the Premier League after 22 years.
It has been revealed by local publications that Hull are keen to bring in two more strikers before the end of the transfer window, and the previous Tigers target, who offers a different dimension to Estupinan, could also thrive at the MKM Stadium as a result of the potential service from the likes of Abdus Omur, Ryan Giles, Millar and Cody Drameh among others.
There are certainly worse options which Walter could explore from a centre-forward point of view.