Hull City

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BBC Radio Humberside's Mike White is out in Turkey for Hull City's pre-season.

Speaking to his followers on X, White observed part of training and said: "No additional new signings outside of what they've already got. There's only one actually active and that's goalkeeper Jack Butland. Hidemasa Morita and Matt Targett - neither of those are fully fit to take part in training.

"Morita is dealing with an injury alongside everything else. They're hoping him and Targett can be involved soon. Charlie Hughes is dealing with recovery from a double hernia operation. It looks like it's still making him a doubt for that opening game against Manchester United.

"Some deals are still ongoing, the likes of Konstantinos Tzolakis the goalkeeper, Leon Bailey from Aston Villa, Elliot Stroud the Swedish player. One thing that's for certain, looking at these players right now, is they need numbers - but not just for the sake of it, it has to be quality. Fans are understandably getting a bit concerned and while we're here we'll try find out as much as we can.

"Regan Slater - Hull are looking to offer him a new deal. He's in his option year now going into this season. Everyone involved wants to get him committed and tied down for a much longer period. He'll want his opportunity in the Premier League, and would want to do it you'd think with that bit of stability - a longer-term contract in his pocket."

Hull City are in talks with Aston Villa to sign 28-year-old Jamaica winger Leon Bailey on a permanent transfer. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Mike White
BBC Radio Humberside sports editor

Hull City's transfer business has been the subject of several questions sent in via our 'Ask about Hull City' form.

Whilst City were initially handed a three window Transfer Restriction sanction on 3 July 2025, preventing them from paying fees for signings either permanent or loan, this was later reduced on appeal to two windows which applied to the transfer windows in the summer of 2025 and January 2026.

The additional transfer window punishment was suspended as part of that appeal until 1 July this year and would only be reactivated if the club defaulted on any additional payments by a total of 7 days during the 12 months up to that date

That means the sanctions have now been removed and the club are free to buy players and pay loan fees as they near their return to the Premier League.

As for Ivor Pandur's move to Rangers, that wouldn't have been affected as the sanctions didn't prevent them from selling players, only bringing players into the club where any sort of fee was involved.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

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Video assistant referees should only be used to change "blatantly incorrect" decisions and clear missed incidents, say European refereeing officials.

Chief refereeing officers from all 55 European national football associations met last week with Uefa refereeing officials and a representative from the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to address recent changes to the game's laws.

Attendees said "lengthy, microscoping reviews" indicate VAR has gone beyond its original scope.

When VAR was added to the laws of the game in 2018 by football's rulemakers Ifab, its "philosophy" was "minimum interference - maximum benefit", with the intention of reducing "unfairness caused by clear and obvious errors or serious missed incidents" relating to goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

Uefa said that at its recent meeting that refereeing bosses agreed a return to those original aims is needed.

"It was reiterated that, in accordance with protocol, VAR must only intervene in situations of 'clear and obvious' error, ie. when a referee decision is blatantly incorrect or when the referee has missed a clear incident," Uefa said in a statement.

"VAR is not meant to re-referee the game, it is an essential support to the referees, who must remain at the centre of all decision-making.

"Lengthy, microscoping reviews are often a symptom revealing that the decision on the field was not clearly and obviously incorrect, and should therefore be limited."

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Hull City beat Turkish Super Lig side Caykur Rizespor 2-1 in their second fixture of their pre-season schedule.

Tigers captain Lewie Coyle was substituted off after going down injured in the closing stages of the first half and forward Abu Kamara was also withdrawn at half time having received treatment.

After a goalless opening half, Oli McBurnie broke the deadlock in the 55th minute, and Kieran Dowell doubled the lead with a strike two minutes later.

Sergej Jakirovic's side have won both their two pre-season fixtures, and they will face Kasımpasa in Istanbul on 1 August.

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The Hull Daily Mail's Baz Cooper is on tour with Hull City in Slovenia and speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, he explained: "I wouldn't say there's a cloud but there's still a big question mark over signings. I think everybody expects that the squad isn't anywhere near strong enough yet to compete in the Premier League."

While travelling, the club have signed, Matt Target, Oscar Zambrano and Hidemasa Morita.

Cooper added: "They're still working hard bringing players in but the longer it goes on and those deals don't get done obviously fans get a bit nervous and the manager wants to get players in now and get them embedded in long before the season starts in three weeks.

"That is pressing but there definitely is a really bubbly atmosphere around the group, there's a lot of excitement, as there should be, because of what they achieved last season."

Reminiscing on Hull's "incredible" Play-off win at Wembley, Cooper said stressed it's "gone now" and focus must turn to recruitment so the Tigers "can do themselves justice".

"The last thing they want having worked so hard to get into the Premier League is to role over and get their bellies tickled," he added:

"They don't just need numbers, they need quality."

Listen to the insight into Hull City's Maribor training camp on BBC Sounds

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Grimsby Town have signed Bray Wanderers midfielder Cian Doyle for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, and Hull City goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright on a season-long loan.

Doyle, 21, scored five times in 53 league games for the League of Ireland First Division side.

Cartwright, 24, previously spent a season on loan with the Mariners in 2023-24 and made 32 appearances in all competitions.

Meanwhile, captain Kieran Green, 29, has signed a new three-year deal with the League Two side.

The midfielder joined Grimsby from Halifax in July 2022 and has scored 22 goals in 143 league appearances.

"I had a good think about things over the summer and there was only one answer in the end," he told the club website., external

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English football is set to implement a trial to try to eradicate the goalkeeper tactical timeout this season, BBC Sport can reveal.

The Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, National League and Women's Super League have agreed on the measure, pending permission from the International Football Association Board (Ifab).

Earlier this year, Ifab decided against changing the law and invited leagues to volunteer for trials.

Pro Ref, led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has been in discussions with the leagues to determine how to tackle the issue. It settled on a team having to remove an outfield player from the field.

If a referee signals that the physio can come on to treat a goalkeeper, the coach will have 10 seconds to nominate another player to leave the pitch for one minute, telling the fourth official of their choice.

If no player has been selected within 10 seconds, the captain must leave the field.

Read more on the trial

Former Burnley winger Glen Little says Hull City transfer target Florentino Luis is "confident in himself" as a player but could "find it tough" if the Tigers are in a relegation battle this season.

BBC Radio Humberside's Mike White recently reported that the Clarets may be willing to sell the defensive midfielder for £15m plus add-ons to get a sizeable wage off their books.

"He was quite promising in the early days of being at Burnley," Little said. "He is good at getting on the ball in midfield, having that composure and being comfortable in possession.

"My worry with him was that it is alright being a good footballer in the Premier League, keeping things ticking over, but what would happen if things started to become a bit of a struggle? That's exactly what happened last season with one win in six months.

"By the end of last season, all of Burnley's players were beaten up. It wasn't just him but if Hull City were to struggle like Burnley did, he might find it tough going through it all over again.

"He might start thinking: 'What have I done to deserve this? I've come into English football and hardly won a game!' But if Hull City do alright, he will look a good player.

"It would be a shame if he does go because he would be a really good player for Burnley in the Championship.

"I suppose it will all depend on the season Hull City have. If they come up and do alright, he will be a good signing. If they don't, it will be a struggle for all the players including him."

Listen to the full conversation above or listen on BBC Sounds

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

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Hull City kicked off their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Turkish Super Lig side Konyaspor at Aluminij Sports Park.

Forward Enis Destan opened the scoring on 28 minutes as his header beat motionless goalkeeper Bahadır Gungordu.

Summer signing Jack Butland started for the Tigers and was tested just the once before being replaced by Dillon Phillips for the second-half.

Butland was one of two changes made by Sergej Jakirovic at half-time as Ryan Giles also came on for Matty Jacob.

The Tigers soon extended their lead through an unfortunate own goal and Abu Kamara's composed finish concluded a good 90 minute display by Jakirovic's side.

Hull City will face Rizespor next on Tuesday, 28 July (17:00 BST).

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Hull City have signed free agent Hidemasa Morita on a two-year deal, with a club option of a further year.

Morita was released from Portuguese side Sporting at the end of the 2025-26 campaign after spending four years at the club.

The defensive midfielder has won 40 caps for Japan, but he was not selected for the 2026 World Cup squad.

Whilst at Sporting, the 31-year-old won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles and won the Portuguese Cup.

Overall, he made 166 appearances for Sporting, scoring 11 goals and providing 16 assists.

Mike White
BBC Radio Humberside sports editor

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Hull City are interested in Burnley's Portuguese midfielder Florentino Luis.

Despite the £20m Burnley just paid, a source close to the Lancashire club tells me they may be willing to sell for £15m plus add-ons to get a sizeable wage off the books.

Luis has only just joined the Clarets permanently from Benfica due to an obligation to buy following his loan at Turf Moor last season.

I understand there's interest - on a loan basis - from at least one other Premier League side.

Despite Burnley being open to a permanent deal and possibly at a reduced fee, it is also understood Hull are exploring the option of it being a loan initially instead.

Given likely loan fees and wages wouldn't be cheap, it seems an interesting choice if so.

Now we also know who the Portugal flag indicated on Acun Ilicali's list on social media.

Listen to talk about Hull City every Monday to Friday on Humberside Sport at 18:00 and subscribe to our dedicated Hull City page on BBC Sounds for all the latest Tigers interviews, discussion and special features.

Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist

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Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has said he is "disturbed" by claims of the club being rejected by transfer targets and, in an unusual move, attempted to clarify the situation.

"We are reading dozens of false transfer rumors in many places," wrote Ilicali in a social media post., external

"We are disturbed by the claims that we have been rejected and by the use of our club's name to gain attention.

"We have been working intensively for two months. I believe we will build a team that we will all be proud of."

Ilicali, who did not mention the reports he was referring to, added: "To prevent false speculation and to give you more information, I am leaving you with our latest transfer situation, which includes some clues..."

In the rest of his message, Ilicali numerically listed Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano and Matt Targett with ticks next to their name.

He went on to put numbers from four to 11 with the flags of countries and percentages next to them as he suggested how close Hull City were to signing players of those nations.

Read more on the story here

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Gabe Tan, editor of ESPN Asia, says Hull City are getting "a really proficient central midfielder" in Hidemasa Morita.

BBC Radio Humberside's Mike White understands a deal is in place to sign the 31-year-old free agent.

Tan told BBC Radio Humberside: "He is really that typical central midfielder. He dominates that engine room. Very energetic, very tidy in distribution.

"He has a lot of experience in a really quality league in Portugal. Overall, I think they are getting a really proficient central midfielder.

"He's no nonsense in the way he goes about his business.

"They're getting someone who will come in and play a role straight away. Maybe that is what Hull City are looking for - not a long-term project but a strong reinforcement right from the get-go."

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here

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Hull City have signed Matt Targett on a two-year deal, with a club option of a further year, after the defender left Newcastle at the end of his contract.

The 30-year-old left-back said "it was a no-brainer" to join the Tigers, but he expects a "massive challenge" on their return to the top flight.

"I'm at an age now where I feel like I am an experienced head to pass on previous experience of the Premier League to players who have not been in this situation. I'm hoping I'll be a huge help in the dressing room," said Targett.

Targett has represented Southampton, Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the Premier League, but spent last season on loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough.

"It was during the England game on Saturday night that my agent rang me and said Hull City were interested," added Targett.

"The next minute, I was on a phone call with the owner. He is very invested in the football club and speaks very passionately, so it didn't take much convincing to join.

"It's going to be a massive challenge, but we can take huge confidence from what the likes of Sunderland and Leeds did last season.

Targett played 46 times for Middlesbrough last season, scoring four goals and starting the play-off final against Hull City.

Rangers are set to formalise their interest in Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry after Anderlecht had a £5m bid rejected and with Hull City, Paris FC, Red Bull Salzburg and West Ham also keen on the 21-year-old. (Simon Collings on X, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

I understand Hull City have agreed a deal to sign free agent midfielder, Hidemasa Morita.

The 31-year old Japanese international was recently linked with a move to Ipswich.

It's a move four-and-a-half years in the making as the Tigers were scouting Morita as far back as 2022.

Morita spent the last four seasons at Portuguese giants Sporting, making over 165 appearances.

He won the Primeira Liga on two occasions and notched 11 goals in all competitions for the club.

Listen to talk about Hull City every Monday to Friday on Humberside Sport at 18:00 and subscribe to our dedicated Hull City page on BBC Sounds for all the latest Tigers interviews, discussion and special features.

Now the dust has settled on the 2026 World Cup, you can officially review your Predictor results for the tournament.

If you played more than four rounds, BBC Sport has done a deep dive into your predictions, tournament performance and compared you to other players.

Don't worry, though, Predictor isn't stopping at international tournaments! Pre-season has kicked off and there are plenty of friendlies and European qualifiers to keep us occupied before the new season gets under way.

So how do you fancy your chances of correctly predicting the scores for our six selected matches every week?

BBC Sport has launched a new weekly Predictor game to cover the 2026-27 season, allowing users to pick what they think will be the result from six fixtures from across the leagues.

There will usually be a Friday deadline and the game will also feature streaks, so make sure to build it into your weekly football habits.

Lock in your first round of predictions before Friday, 24 July here

If you're wondering how to play, here are a few easy steps:

• Click on the link above to take you to the selections page.

• For every match, you either choose a winning team or select a draw - once your prediction has been submitted you won't be able to change it, so be sure to pick carefully.

• Then wait for the results to roll in to see how you have done.

• Share your results with your friends and family.

• Every consecutive round you play adds one to your streak, but if you miss a round then your streak will reset to zero.

Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalist

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The Premier League's financial landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. Since 2016 total summer transfer spending has risen from £1.16bn to a record £3.19bn in 2025 – an increase of almost 175%.

On the surface, that suggests transfer figures are continuing to accelerate. Headline fees, though, tell only part of the story.

Research by Kieran Maguire and colleagues at the University of Liverpool suggests some of the Premier League's earlier record signings represented even greater investments when measured against clubs' buying power at the time.

Using Premier League broadcasting revenues as an index, Alan Shearer's £15m move from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United in 1996 remains the league's biggest transfer relative to clubs' spending power. Rio Ferdinand's £29.1m move to Manchester United in 2002 and Juan Sebastian Veron's £28.1m arrival at Old Trafford in 2001 also rank above any of this summer's blockbuster deals.

The same model suggests Trevor Francis' £1m move from Birmingham City to Forest in 1979 – English football's first £1m transfer – would equate to about £173m in today's market.

That does not mean the fees paid for Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali were modest. Rather, it reflects how dramatically Premier League revenues have grown, allowing clubs to spend sums that would once have been unimaginable.

When Jack Grealish became Britain's first £100m footballer when joining City from Villa in 2021, the transfer marked another turning point in the evolution of the market.

Only five years later, nine-figure deals are no longer viewed as extraordinary. They have become a familiar feature of Premier League transfer windows.

The next milestone may not be far away.

While no Premier League club has yet paid £200m for a player, football's financial ceiling continues to rise and the first transfer of that magnitude no longer feels beyond the realms of possibility.

• Read more on transfer fee evolution

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Hull City have completed the permanent signing of Ecuadorian midfielder Oscar Zambrano, 12 months after he finished a loan spell at the club.

The 22-year-old signed a four-year contract - with the option of an additional year - after the newly promoted Premier League side agreed an undisclosed fee with Slovenian side Maribor.

Zambrano made eight appearances for the Tigers in 2024-25 season after joining from Ecuadorian side LDU Quito on a season-long loan.

In November 2024, the defensive midfielder was given a 16-month suspension by South American football confederation Conmebol for breaching anti-doping rules while playing for Quito.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban to 12 months, and Zambrano returned to competitive action in November 2025 with Maribor. Injury limited him to seven appearances for the club.

Zambrano has been capped 14 times at under-20 level by his country and began his footballing education at the same academy as Chelsea's Moises Caicedo at Colorados Jaipadida.

Zambrano is Hull City's second signing of the summer after the arrival of 33-year-old goalkeeper Jack Butland from Rangers.

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We asked you to pick one player you would like to move on this summer and one realistic target you want Hull City to bring in before the transfer window shuts.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Dom: We need to sign Carvalho, Gelhardt, Stroud, Zambrano, Targett, Bamba Dieng, Tzolakis, Bailey, Morton, Yu, Amir. Sell/loan - Akintola, Dowell, Jacob, Omur, Kamara, Destan, Burstow, Ashbee, McCarthy. All by end of this week or next. Big ask.

Charlie: One player I would like to see leave is Abu Kamara, who doesn't have enough quality to earn any minutes in the Premier League. A return to Portsmouth would be brilliant for him and would guarantee game time. One player I would like to see join is Jens Petter Hauge from Bodo/Glimt. He's a player who has really stood out in the Norwegian league and Champions League. He would fit in well with Sergej Jakirovic's system and would cause chaos down that left-hand side in the Premier League.

Les: One in - Patrick Agyemang from Derby County. One out - Matty Jacob.

Sarah: I would like to see Kamara leave and I'd like to bring in Gabriel Mec.