HULL. Hull City are braced for a frantic final 48 hours before the end of the month as they scramble to recoup approximately £6 million in transfer fees to avoid falling foul of Financial Fair Play regulations following their promotion to the Premier League .
Owner Acun Ilicali, sporting director Jared Dublin and head of recruitment Martin Hodge spent the weekend locked in discussions with opposition clubs in a bid to thrash out deals before Tuesday’s deadline . The MKM Stadium hierarchy remain confident they can address the black hole in their three year reporting period after making key progress on Sunday .
Wembley heroes among those set to depart
A host of players who were not in Sergej Jakirovic’s plans at the end of the season are likely to be moved on, including Kasey Palmer and David Akintola . Wembley heroes Ivor Pandur and Kyle Joseph both have interest from clubs in England and north of the border, and could yet move before Tuesday night .
Joseph is wanted by Middlesbrough, whom City defeated in the Championship play off final, and is close to securing a £5 million move to Teesside . Ivor Pandur is another involved in discussions about a move away, despite being at the World Cup with Croatia . The deals involving Joseph and Pandur are understood to be sufficient to wipe out the deficit .
Pre season plans take shape
The Premier League have the ability to fine City or issue a points deduction for any breach. However small, such punishment would represent a significant obstacle for a newly promoted team, though any penalty would be proportionally less impactful if the breach is minimised .
Monday also marks the two week countdown until the players return for their first full day of pre season training, with the squad reporting back to Cottingham on July 13 . Jakirovic’s men will spend the first week in East Yorkshire before flying to Slovenia for a training camp, where they are expected to play two friendlies .
The Tigers will then head to Turkey for a long weekend to tackle Super Lig opposition before returning to England at the beginning of August . City are also in discussions to arrange another away friendly before the Premier League campaign begins on August 22, with a potential European trip being discussed, while a home friendly against French Ligue 1 opposition is also on the agenda but not yet confirmed .
