Hull City has put together a strong team that can compete for promotion back to the Premier League, but if the team doesn’t make it there, they might have to trade one or two players in the summer.
The Tigers, two points ahead of seventh-place Norwich City in the Championship, have managed to hang on despite having three straight draws. However, Liam Rosenior’s team still has to play Leicester City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, while the Canaries are at home against Rotherham United, who are currently at the bottom of the table.
Few would have predicted Hull to be fighting for a spot in the top six this season after the team ended safely above the relegation zone in 15th place the previous year, but this is a credit to the excellent work Rosenior has done in Yorkshire.
As the season dragged on, the former Derby County interim manager was able to make some significant additions to his first-team roster. He brought in star attacker Jaden Philogene from Premier League side Aston Villa, as well as Abdulkadir Omur and Fabio Carvalho in January, the latter of whom was signed on loan.
However, center-back Jacob Greaves has been an unsung hero for the team this season. This season, under Rosenior, the 23-year-old has made 35 appearances across all competitions. Most recently, he captained the club away from home against Huddersfield Town, scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure all three points for the Tigers.
Sheffield Wednesday great and EFL pundit Carlton Palmer revealed in an interview with Football League World that he anticipates Greaves to depart the team, particularly if Hull doesn’t get promoted before the end of the season.
“Hull will need to make a significant offer for him to leave because his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2026.
The issue Hull faces is that players will want to play at a higher level if they don’t automatically advance to the Premier League, even though they have a chance to do so through the play-offs.
Palmer also stated that Hull City could set an asking price of between £15-20 million to let him leave with two years remaining on his current deal.
You would think that the offer would have to be in the region of £15m-£20m for Hull to do business, but this player is destined to play at the highest level. He’s very, very athletic, very good on the ball, very comfortable and can play at the highest level.
“Unfortunately, if Hull don’t get promotion, I think he will be playing in the Premier League next season, whether it’s for Everton or somebody else.”
Writer’s View
Greaves is a fantastic player and has been vital for Hull City for several seasons now. Palmer certainly has a point that the academy product has what it takes to reach the very top and eventually play in the Premier League in the near future.
There will undoubtedly be interest in his signature this summer even if the Tigers fail to return to the top tier of English football, just like there are already several suitors lining up to sign Philogene by the end of the season.
Leave a Reply