The 4 Hull City players we can see leaving in January | OneFootball

FLW looks at those who are likely to depart permanently or temporarily from the MKM Stadium in January

Despite a summer of high turnover at the MKM Stadium, Hull City still possess an extremely strong squad on paper.

Although it was always a blow for Tim Walter to lose the services of many key players from last season's Championship campaign, City's summer recruitment must be commended, especially with how several new additions have been performing in recent outings.

Of course, when on-song, the old adage is 'if it's not broken, don't fix it', which has certainly been the case for the 48-year-old German now his side have found their rhythm, with the likes of Liam Millar, Mohamed Belloumi, Oscar Zambrano and Chris Bedia all falling into said category among others.

On the flip-side, such consistency and strength in-depth across the board does make it seem inevitable that the Tigers will bid farewell to some on their books on a temporary or permanent basis by the time the January transfer window rolls around.

And, with that being said, FLW takes a look at the names who are likely to fall into this bracket.

Thimothee Lo-Tutala

Thimothee Lo-Tutala proved in his loan spell with Doncaster Rovers last term that he is a shot-stopper with a relatively high ceiling, but the circumstances surrounding the current 'Goalkeepers Union' at the MKM Stadium makes it seem likely that the French youth international could be set for another temporary exit.

The 21-year-old signed a contract extension with the club until at least 2028 last month, and even though he is yet to make his competitive bow for the Tigers, it's clear that Walter and his staff have high hopes for the Spurs' academy graduate's future impact at the club.

Last season, Lo-Tutala accumulated nine clean sheets in just 20 competitive matches for Doncaster as they enjoyed a remarkable run of form in League Two post-January, and perhaps even a step-up into League One football on a loan basis is the next natural step for his development.

Harvey Cartwright

Similarly to Lo-Tutala, Harvey Cartwright is another goalkeeper who has rarely tasted first-team football with Hull, despite progressing through the academy ranks.

The 22-year-old and former England youth international was thrust into action under Shota Arveladze on two occasions in the 2021/22 campaign, but hasn't featured for the club since, amid injury setbacks and loan spells to Peterborough United, Wycombe Wanderers and Grimsby Town - with the latter of those being the most successful.

Given how strong this department is, with Ivor Pandur, Carl Rushworth and Anthony Racioppi all vying for the number one spot under Walter, it's hard to see where Cartwright fits in his long-term plans, especially when factoring in Lo-Tutala's recent extension too.

Cartwright's contract does run out in 2026, but a permanent exit could well be sanctioned for his own benefit in the winter, after making 32 appearances for the Mariners last term.

Andy Smith

At 23 years of age, Andy Smith has only made a limited number of appearances for the Tigers since his 2021 breakthrough.

The centre-back did feature heavily in Walter's pre-season plans, albeit before the arrival of Charlie Hughes from Wigan Athletic, which has once again pushed Smith further down the pecking order.

After two impressive loan stints with Grimsby Town between January 2022 and May 2023, Smith struggled for consistency whilst on loan at Cheltenham Town in the second half of last season as the Robins were relegated from League One, which leaves a question mark as to whether he's likely to ever oust the likes of Alfie Jones and Sean McLoughlin anytime soon.

Once again, Smith's contract expires in 2026, but for his own sake, regular football is needed, regardless of whether a departure from East Yorkshire is on a temporary or permanent basis.

Harry Vaughan

Harry Vaughan burst onto the first-team scene in April 2023 under Liam Rosenior, and put in four strong performances given the circumstances against Blackburn Rovers, Watford, Swansea City and Luton Town.

Naturally, a loan move to Bristol Rovers in January felt like an ideal fit for all parties involved after a string of further cameos in Black and Amber.

But after signing a fresh three-year deal with City, his loan spell at the Memorial Stadium flattered to deceive, with Vaughan making just 11 appearances for the club and failing to register a single goal contribution.

Gas boss Matt Taylor then issued an honest verdict regarding Vaughan's struggles, stating that another loan where he could learn a different style may be the best option, but he has remained at City as a prominent figure for the Under-21's this term.

However, it seems logical that another loan move to League One or League Two would prove more than useful.