What Hull City supporters are saying about permanent Gustavo Puerta transfer news | OneFootball

The Colombian will be staying put at the MKM Stadium when the season finishes.

It was yet another disappointing afternoon for Hull City supporters on Good Friday as Ruben Selles' side were defeated 1-0 by Swansea City in South Wales.

However, as a result of Colombian box-to-box midfielder Gustavo Puerta making his 20th start of the Championship campaign at the Swansea.com Stadium, the Bayer Leverkusen loanee has triggered an appearance-based clause within his temporary switch from last season's Bundesliga champions, meaning he will officially become a permanent Tigers player on July 1st - the start date of the 2025/26 season.

It has been reported by Hull Live that the clause comes in at a figure of €3.5m (approx £3m), although the length of the 21-year-old's permanent contract in East Yorkshire is yet to be revealed.

Those who flock to the MKM Stadium week-in-week-out have been left feeling extremely underwhelmed at the club's plight down the second-tier standings in comparison to last April, when City were vying for a play-off place.

Friday's defeat against the Swans has left the Tigers two points above the League One trap door with three games remaining, which includes a monumental fixture against Derby County in HU3 next Saturday.

Regardless, Puerta's performances have been one of very few bright spots for Tigers supporters, who have, unsurprisingly, reacted impulsively to said developments.

The 30-time Colombian youth international was initially signed by Tim Walter on a loan basis in the late stages of the summer transfer window, before eventually making his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland in October.

Across all competitions, Puerta has donned the Black and Amber stripes on 28 occasions, netting a neat equaliser in an eventual FA Cup third round defeat to Doncaster Rovers in January, before scoring his first league goal for the club in a 2-1 victory over Oxford United last month - a game in which he was also controversially shown a second yellow card in the final seconds.

His long-term future had been a hot topic of discussion as the season drew on after an array of tidy performances alongside compatriot Steven Alzate in particular, especially when he was left as an unused substitute for three successive games in February, although it was revealed at the time the decision was purely football-related rather than financial.

Given City's precarious position in the table, a lot of supporters' initial reactions were tongue-in-cheek, believing that the man who featured 10 times across all competitions for Leverkusen as they won the German top-flight and reached the UEFA Europa League last term, would look out of place in the third-tier, although the sole objective right now is to avoid such circumstances.

One fan said: Praying this bloke stays beyond the summer, going to need him regardless of what division we’re in."

Another Tigers fan wrote: "Buddy is about to go off in League One. Gunna look like prime Gerrard at Stevenage away."

After a drab performance on Friday and with a crucial home tie against Preston North End looming large, another stated: Best thing so far this weekend. Get the win to make sure he doesn't regret it."

However, not all have been fully convinced by Puerta's showings for City, with one fan claiming: "Not sure how I feel about this. Another inconsistent performer for me. TBH if it was in the contract neither he nor the club had a choice. Guess he’ll be a saleable asset if the worst happens. UTT."

Gustavo Puerta's future at Hull City could hinge on final three games

Whilst the majority of supporters will be pleased that such clauses have been activated, a recent interview by the midfielder shows that he is still hungry to progress his career rather swiftly, as he told Colombian news outlet, AS;

“I've already completed years in Europe. The adaptation has been progressively better. I can now say that I'm adapting to the food, the people, and the European culture; that's the hardest part of feeling better on the pitch. I'll keep working and hope to move to a bigger club next season to continue demonstrating my quality."

Some Hull City supporters have immediately drawn a comparison to Ryan Giles' previous saga at the MKM, where the full-back was signed for a reported £4m last summer from Luton Town after an initial loan spell under Liam Rosenior, who would be dismissed in the off-season.

Giles is currently on loan with Middlesbrough, where he has featured 10 times, albeit the majority of those have come as substitute cameos.

Therefore, Puerta's long-term future could hinge on the final three games of the season, with two of them coming on home soil against Preston and Derby, although supporters may be fearing the worst, with Selles' side still holding the worst home record in the division, taking just 20 points from 21 games.