Hull City

Mike White
BBC Radio Humberside sports editor

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Jared Dublin's departure is completely out of the blue. He has played such a crucial role in the last couple of years in terms of management, squad building and recruitment.

It's seemingly to do with a breakdown of communication in personal contract talks and not player recruitment contracts or anything like that. He was looking to be rewarded for the fact the club are now in the Premier League and that comes with greater work and responsibility.

From my understanding, the two parties were some way apart in what they viewed his value to be.

The club feel a respectable and fair offer was made for a sporting director at a promoted Premier League club. Owner Acun Ilicali has told me of his respect for Dublin and that there is no ill-feeling given the outstanding work carried out in recent years.

Seemingly, Dublin did not think the offer was fair.

As I understand it, Dublin felt talks were ongoing and it wasn't a case of him leaving. If we are going to put it to brass tacks, then the wording means he has effectively been sacked. He had a very brief meeting Monday morning with members of club staff and that meeting ended quickly with him leaving the club.

My sources say Dublin wasn't happy with the valuation of the offer but was happy to keep talking.

This feels like a big blow for a club who which is trying to get themselves ready for a return to the Premier League.

But there remains a feeling internally that they can make progress.

Meanwhile, former sporting director Darren Robinson has been speaking to BBC Radio Humberside about his role in teaching future sporting directors and what qualities Hull should be looking for in Dublin's successor.

Hit play below to hear the full chat or listen on BBC Sounds here

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We asked for your views on which free agents Hull could target this summer and whether there is one player the Tigers are linked with but you hope they never sign.

Here are some of your comments:

Pete: On free agents, if we're going to sign any Turkish players this summer - and that is a very reasonable assumption - we could do worse than Zeki Celik from Roma. He would add some Premier League quality at full-back. Player (or team) to avoid - it wouldn't surprise me if we tried to sign half of the Fenerbahce team. I would rather this didn't happen.

Andy: Gustavo Puerta, who would have been a Hull City player if it wasn't for the embargo preventing his contract been rubber stamped. Playing for Colombia and just got promoted to La Liga with Racing Santander as champions. Nice if we left a clause in place.

Peter: Sign John Stones as a good free agent.

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Sporting director Jared Dublin has left Hull City after less than two years at the club.

BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Mike White said: "Sources have told me a breakdown in communication over personal contract talks between Dublin and the club has contributed to his departure."

The American initially joined the Tigers as head of recruitment in August 2024, replacing Lee Darnbrough.

A 47-word club statement read: "Hull City has parted company with sporting director Jared Dublin with immediate effect.

"The club would like to thank Jared for his efforts throughout his time at Hull City, particularly for his contribution to our promotion to the Premier League, and wish him well for the future."

Hull City avoided the threat of a points deduction in the Premier League by selling goalkeeper Ivor Pandur and midfielder Aidon Shehu hours before the deadline on Tuesday last week.

Despite promotion to the top flight, Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) created the situation whereby a club set to receive significant funds had no choice but to sell players before the accounting period ended on 30 June.

They have since signed goalkeeper Jack Butland from Rangers on a two-year contract with the option of another 12 months.

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We're now well into the knockout rounds of the biggest World Cup ever and we want to know who has grabbed your attention - especially with the summer transfer window open since 15 June.

Which player has raised your eyebrows? Who has exceeded your expectations? Has there been a player you had no knowledge of consistently impress you?

Ultimately, who would you realistically like to see lining up for your team in the Premier League next season?

This is your opportunity to show off your talent-spotting skills - the floor (pitch) is yours...

Tell us the players you want, with your reasoning, here

Enjoy the World Cup across BBC Sport

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From live TV coverage to highlights, analysis and reaction, our dedicated team will ensure you don't miss a kick of the biggest World Cup yet.

And there's more - the BBC has launched live match updates so you can see the score directly on your lock screen through the full 90 minutes and beyond.

This means you can keep track of every game wherever you are - whether you're on the move, at work, or away from a TV. With live match updates on your lock screen, the score is always just a glance away.

This feature will also extend into the 2026-27 Premier League season, so you're never out of the loop.

• Simple steps to set up live lock screen match updates from the World Cup

• How to get Premier League score updates

A new predictor game has been introduced to cover this year's World Cup, allowing users to pick what they think will be the result from every match.

The game also features streaks, so make sure to check in each day and make your predictions.

• Play World Cup Predictor here (UK users only)

Ever wanted to see a World Cup match from every angle? How about a full-pitch tactical view? Or even see the match through the eyes of a player?

Well, now you can with Fifa World Cup 3D Experience, which is a UK-first that is only available on BBC Sport.

The interactive game experience gives viewers more choice to explore the match both in real time, highlights and full-match replays.

• Head here to get started

Finally, here are some more handy links:

• How to follow the World Cup across the BBC

• All the highlights and best video

• Beat the time difference and catch up on everything without any spoilers

• Take a dive into each of the 48 squads here

• Play our World Cup quizzes

Hull City want to sign Napoli and Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, 29, as they prepare for their Premier League return. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We have been asking you questions about Hull City all summer. Our latest is a two-pronged query...

First, is there anyone on the free transfer list you think makes sense or is realistic as a signing?

Mohamed Salah, John Stones, Solly March, Fabinho, Leon Goretzka, Dusan Vlahovic, Jadon Sancho, Daichi Kamada and Yves Bissouma are just some of the names currently available - and you can see a list here of the 15 free agents involved at the World Cup.

And secondly, is there a player Hull are constantly linked with but you hope they never sign? If so, who and why?

Get in touch with your views here

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Hull City need to bring in players who can compete at Premier League level, says former Tigers player Peter Swan.

"Most of the squad are Championship players," Swan told BBC Radio Humberside. "So it doesn't surprise me that any of them could possibly move on to the same standard that they came from.

"Only thing you'd want, and they did this last year, the recruitment team did exceptionally well by the point the players they brought in were better than the players that left, and I think that's what we've got to ask for this year."

Jack Butland became Hull's first signing of the summer on Thursday, but before the news broke, Swan already believed it would be a perfect example of improving on what they had.

Swan added: "Is he going to be a back-up or a number one because the manager last year gave Ivor Pandur the number-one shirt. Every opportunity to put him back in, he did, and that's how the manager feels.

"Is he going to bring Butland as a number one? We'll have to wait and see but the good thing is - what we've done there is brought, for me, a better player in that position than the one we're letting go."

Click play below to hear the full discussion or listen on BBC Sounds here

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Hull City have made goalkeeper Jack Butland their first signing of the summer.

The 33-year-old has arrived from Rangers for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract, with the option of an additional 12 months.

The nine-time England international has spent time in the Premier League across spells with Stoke City and Crystal Palace.

"I'm delighted it's all sorted now and I'm really excited to be here," Butland told the club website, external. "It's a great challenge and a fantastic season to look forward to. The challenge is obvious but an exciting one.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world and, personally, it's a great opportunity to be on the biggest stage again. I believe it's the level I'm capable of playing at, and I've done it before.

"As a club, we've got a great challenge back in the Premier League, not just to stay in the league but to really enjoy it and do as well as we can.

"The last few years playing at an incredible club like Rangers, somewhere I hold close to my heart, meant it had to be something really enticing to change that.

"I've already had some chats with the goalie coach [Erbil Bozkurt]; he seems like a great guy and I've heard great things about him, which is really important to my time here.

"It can't come quickly enough. I'm really looking forward to seeing the fans in a really exciting season for us as a club."

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

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Hull City avoided the threat of a points deduction in the Premier League by selling goalkeeper Ivor Pandur and midfielder Aidon Shehu hours before Tuesday's deadline.

The Tigers returned to the top flight by beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship play-off final in May, earning guaranteed riches of about £200m.

But profit and sustainability regulations (PSR) created the situation whereby a club set to receive significant funds had no choice but to sell players before the accounting period ended on 30 June.

The EFL's PSR restrict Championship clubs to losses of £39m over three years. Hull had an overspend of about £6m for the period to 2025-26.

The club faced being deducted up to six points in the Premier League if they failed to erase the deficit.

Only the profit on transfers counts towards the PSR calculation.

On Tuesday evening Hull announced the sale of first-choice keeper Pandur to Rangers for £6m.

The 26-year-old, who cost £1.5m from Fortuna Sittard in January 2024, won three of the club's player of the year awards in 2024-25.

On Wednesday morning Hull confirmed that Shehu had been sold to Panathinaikos for a reported £2.5m.

The sale of the 19-year-old - signed from Southend United two years ago for a small compensation figure - is effectively pure profit for Hull's PSR calculation.

The Albania Under-21 international did not make a first-team appearance for Hull and spent the end of last season on loan at Scarborough Athletic.

The two deals equate to about £7m of profit.

Hull were expected to sell Kyle Joseph to Middlesbrough for £5m to clear the deficit, but a snag between the clubs meant it could not be completed on time.

The PSR concerns have prevented Hull from making any new signings before the new season.

Transfer activity will now ramp up from Wednesday when the new accounting period begins.

PSR is being replaced by a new system called squad cost ratio (SCR).

Rather than assessing losses over a three-year period, it allows clubs to spend 85% of the income they generate on their squads and is assessed annually.

• Read more on the story

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In the final part of Wednesday's Q&A, BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Mike White focuses on whether Hull City owner Acun Ilicali could look for further Turkish investors.

Ian asked: Do you suspect there will be further investment from the Turkish business community now the club is in the top flight? No other Premier League club has a Turkish connection and Ilicali might want further financial support around him.

Mike: You'd have to think there's a strong possibility given Ilicali's connections. While Premier League money itself is a significant reward for clubs, additional investment can go a long way towards making it more sustainable and/or competitive.

McVitie's, which is owned by Turkish billionaire businessman Murat Ulker, did have a relatively short-lived sponsorship deal with the club in 2023-24, but that agreement ended prematurely following that season.

However, there have been some suggestions that City's promotion could lead to that interest being reignited, although there has been nothing official from either party to say that is an active deal right now.

You'd also be right to think it wouldn't be the only one wanting to associate itself with a newly established Premier League team.

Scroll back down this page for the other parts of Mike's Q&A, which look at how Hull could spend their promotion winnings, including paying off debt, and club recruitment and sales.

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.

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In the second part of Wednesday's special Q&A, BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Mike White focuses on player sales and recruitment.

Gary asked: Why is it when we start to assemble a good squad of players, we sell some and struggle to find suitable replacements?

Mike: I'm not sure the club are "struggling" to find replacements right now. It's still early days and talks will be taking place every day between other clubs, players and their agents, but everyone feels they have their worth and clubs/players will hold out for the best deal they can get.

It's the nature of football in general that players will be moved on for a variety of reasons.

City needed to do fairly swift business to eliminate financial losses that could have seen them hit with a points deduction before even kicking a Premier League ball in anger, and while some fans wouldn't want to see those players go, the likes of Ivor Pandur and Kyle Joseph are players with value who the club feel can be replaced with the resources available to them.

The harsh reality is also that some players simply won't be seen as good enough, or unlikely to feature prominently enough, so they might have to be the ones sacrificed to help fund signings that can move the team up the levels needed to attempt to compete in that division.

Come back to this page later for the final part of Mike's Q&A, which will look at potential Turkish investment for the new Premier League season.

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We asked you to send in your Hull questions for BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Mike White. In the first part of Wednesday's special Q&A, he focuses on how Hull will strategise this summer to give them a good a chance of Premier League survival while being in debt.

Steve asked: It's going to be an uphill task for City to stay in the Premier League. Given the fact that they are over £40m in debt, would it not be better for the long-term future of the club to simply use the Premier League riches to clear all of that, accept relegation as very likely and start the new Championship season debt free and with the wealth of parachute payments?

Mike: I don't think simply accepting relegation would be seen as the right way to approach their return to the Premier League despite, as you rightly say, the task is a sizable one when you're there.

Obviously, having any debt isn't ideal and is a more common feature than not in football these days, but the hope will be they look to find a way to invest in a squad they believe would be capable of giving themselves a fighting chance of staying up while still keeping the club on a relatively stable footing.

The biggest thing that has to come out of this latest venture into the top flight is a lasting legacy - improved training/academy facilities, for example - that didn't materialise in their previous three promotions to the Premier League.

Keep across this page on Wednesday for parts two and three of Mike's Q&A, which will look at possible Turkish investment and recruitment.

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On Wednesday, BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Mike White will answer your Hull City-related question in a three-part Q&A.

But given Tuesday is the financial deadline the Tigers were set to find £6m of income to adhere with EFL Profit and Sustainability Rules, Mike has answered this question early for you.

Eamonn asked: Does the £6m have to be received by 30 June, or can it be an agreed commitment with the actual money being received after that date?

Mike: Most, if not all, transfers in football rarely come with a cash-on-delivery agreement where 100% of the funds are transferred from the bank account of one club to another on the day of purchase.

So the simple answer is as long as the clubs have completed and submitted all the relevant paperwork and the buying club have signed off on their agreement to pay for that player, that's enough for the club accounts and, in City's case, will therefore clear the deficit to avoid sanctions for exceeding PSR limits.

However, if it was the case of having to show the money was in the account, you'd imagine the club would find ways to make sure that didn't become an issue in the way any business would operate.

Come back to this page on Wednesday for the rest of Mike's Q&A, which will look at subjects such as recruitment, Turkish investment and Premier League survival.

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.

Stevie Clifford from Rangers podcast 4 Lads Had A Dream has told BBC Radio Humberside that Jack Butland is a "fantastic goalkeeper" but he is surprised Hull City are reportedly set to pay a significant amount for him as part of a deal involving Ivor Pandur moving the other way.

Clifford said: "They're [Hull] getting somebody who is a leader. He is a goalie of some stature.

"He always seems to start the season off really strongly - he has done it in each of the years he's been with us. As the season goes on, there are question marks over Jack's form - but when Jack Butland is on his game, you're getting a very confident and very able shot-stopping goalkeeper.

"He's been a good signing for Rangers. He's handled the expectations of the club. Jack has made a few high-profile errors, I think it's fair to say, but over the piece he's been a very good goalkeeper for us."

On the reaction of Rangers fans to the news that Butland is set to leave, Clifford added: "It's probably been a positive one. Everybody was in agreement that perhaps it was time for Jack to move on and get something fresh.

"For Rangers, given how our season went the past couple of years, there's a desire for the leadership group to be moved on. They haven't quite achieved what we wanted to do here, so the news Jack is moving on and we're apparently going to get £3m will be very well received.

"[The reported fee] does come as a surprise. I would've thought at the age he is, with a year left on his contract, we would've picked up £1m. But to get what we have for Jack seems like very good business, especially if you look at the investment we're making the other way. That makes that a very good deal."

Listen to the full clip above or on BBC Sounds here

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It is under two months until Hull City begin their first season back in the Premier League since 2017 and there is plenty on the Tigers' agenda before a ball is kicked.

After achieving promotion via the Championship play-offs last month, the club are looking for reinforcements to aid their pursuit of top-flight survival. The East Yorkshire club have already begun talks with vastly experienced Belgian defender Thomas Meunier in the hopes of building a squad ready to compete.

There is clearly plenty to discuss, so BBC Radio Humberside sports editor Mike White will be on hand to answer your questions later this week.

Put your thinking cap on - what do you want to know about Hull right now?

Get in touch with your question here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Middlesbrough are in talks with Hull City over a £5m deal for striker Kyle Joseph.

The Tigers beat Boro in the Championship play-off final, which 24-year-old Joseph missed because of an ankle injury.

He scored eight goals - having joined from Blackpool in January last year - as Hull finished sixth, before suffering the injury in their play-off semi-final victory over Millwall.

The Tigers are being forced to sell to ensure they comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Scottish Premiership club Rangers are also reportedly ready to pay £6m for goalkeeper Igor Pandur which, along with Joseph, would mean the newly promoted Premier League side clear the £6m deficit they needed to erase.

Goalkeeper Jack Butland could move to Hull as part of a deal for Pandur, who arrived from Fortuna Sittard for £1.5m in 2024 and has made 92 appearances for the club.

Mike White
BBC Radio Humberside sports editor

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Hull City are in talks over a possible move for versatile Belgium international Thomas Meunier on free transfer.

Active discussions are understood to be taking place for the 34-year old right-back, who can also play in midfield.

He's currently preparing for his nation's final group game against New Zealand on Saturday but is out of contract at the end of the month having spent two seasons with French side Lille.

Meunier would bring a wealth of experience with over 500 appearances, including with European giants Paris St-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.

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.