by William Young, To Hull and Back podcast
Hull City concluded their pre-season campaign for the forthcoming 2025-26 EFL Championship season with a relatively quiet affair at the MKM Stadium, drawing 0-0 with La Liga outfit Getafe.
However, this pre-season has really been anything but quiet…
First, let’s get the big and obvious stuff that hasn’t been reported by yours truly in the Gazette out of the way.
Rubén Sellés was sacked days after the season ended, replaced in early June by Sergej Jakirović. And the biggest story of the summer – the club were placed under fee restrictions for three transfer windows by the EFL, meaning that the club couldn’t spend money on incoming transfers.
This was a result of owner Acun Ilıcalı failing to pay several clubs transfer and loan fees, as well as failing to pay local suppliers for various services. Now, the whole debacle with the EFL is worthy of an article of its own, so I’ll leave it brief here.
However, the club have appealed against the sanctions, and are likely to see at least a reduction in the number of windows the club are restricted for, maybe even seeing the restrictions removed. As of writing, we were still awaiting the result of the appeal.
Right, then. On to transfers. Firstly, Gustavo Puerta was meant to join permanently, but his registration is currently up in the air thanks to the EFL sanctions. City made their first few signings with young Moroccan Reda Laalaoui becoming the first name through the door, though the aforementioned sanctions have left him in limbo too, followed by keeper Dillon Phillips from Rotherham and Semi Ajayi from West Brom, and Xavier Simons and João Pedro leaving the club for Bolton Wanderers and Atlético San Luis.
In July, more familiar faces left the Tigers, with Alfie Jones and Sean McLoughlin, previous mainstays in the defence, leaving for Middlesbrough and Blackburn respectively. Marvin Mehlem returned to Germany, before Matty Jacob and Mason Burstow left on loan for Bolton Wanderers. Come August, Steven Alzate bowed out from the club, leaving for MLS side Atlanta United for £1.75 million.
On the incomings front in July, the club saw Akin Famewo come in after leaving Sheffield Wednesday, with winger Joel Ndala arriving on loan from Manchester City.
As July moved into August, John Lundstram joined on loan from Trabzonspor, while Enis Destan followed Lundstram from Trabzonspor, this time on a permanent basis. As we went to press, Oli McBurnie’s deal to join the Tigers was also made official.
City are also still being linked with other strikers, the main one being Westerlo’s Matija Frigan, a name that has been banded about for most of the summer, but went quiet after the EFL sanctions came down on the club, but may still be a possibility should City’s appeal be successful.
On the field, it must be said that despite pre-season being a period where results shouldn’t really be taken seriously (fitness and tactics the priority), City have had a pretty decent time on the pitch this summer.
It started rocky, with League One Lincoln City defeating the Tigers 2-0 in a behind closed doors friendly at City’s training ground, but the side bounced back quickly, beating Grimsby Town 1-0 soon after, before heading off to Turkey.
In Istanbul (not Constantinople), City took on İstanbulspor and Kasımpaşa (the latter of which are managed by former City manager Shota Arveladze), and saw off both sides, beating İstanbulspor 2-1 with goals from Kyle Joseph and youngster Pharrell Brown, and defeating Kasımpaşa 1-0, with Tyrell Sellars-Fleming scoring the solitary goal.
Upon returning to Blighty, City went over to Stockport, beating them 1-0 with Mason Burstow getting the lone goal, before finishing pre-season with a double header at the MKM Stadium, firstly beating newly promoted Sunderland 2-1, with youngster Nathan Tinsdale and Abu Kamara bringing City the win from behind, before ending the series of friendlies with the previously mentioned goalless draw with Getafe.
Though the results have been good, the main takeaway from the pre-season is the way Sergej has got his team playing. Gone is the slow build-up from the back, replaced by high energy, high pressing, attacking fullbacks and physicality in spades.
City look like they might be a tough team to play against and will let their opponents know as such, regardless of results.
So, here we are. The Championship season starts up this Saturday, with the Tigers heading off to the CBS Arena to face Coventry City. A tough starting fixture, but one City will go into with lots of confidence, and if the appeal to the EFL is successful, confidence may go even higher.
I think most fans, for a lot of the summer, have looked at City and had plenty of concern that the relegation they barely survived last season was simply postponed a year.
However, this past month has suggested that, on the field, there is something to feel some promise about.
Squad depth is still an issue, but if the team continues their evolution under Sergej, keeps fit, and the currently injured trio of Millar, Belloumi and Matazo come back and pick up where they left off, the Tigers might just be in safe hands.