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Hull City’s financial position has put them at huge risk of losing some of their key stars ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season.
It is well known that Hull have been hit with a transfer embargo, which means they’re unable to sign players involving any fee for the next three windows.
As a result, Acun Ilicali could sell some of the club’s first-team players to balance the books, even despite their squad looking thin on the ground.
Rangers have been linked with Abu Kamara; meanwhile, Hull could sell Alfie Jones for £3 million to either Middlesbrough or Wrexham.
On top of that, another defender is closing in on a move to a Championship rival, and the news hasn’t been received well by the supporters.
- READ MORE: Ivor Pandur finally breaks silence on his Hull City future amid transfer links, ‘how things stand’
Hull City fans angered by Sean McLoughlin’s £500,000 fee
It emerged this week that Sean McLoughlin is close to joining Blackburn Rovers for £500,000, finally poised to make a switch to Lancashire after the club tried to sign him last summer.
McLoughlin is Hull’s current longest-serving player after joining from Cork City in July 2019, and the 28-year-old has been a wonderful servant to the club.
The Irishman has made 146 appearances in six years, including five assists. However, last season the defender was used sporadically, being asked to fill in as a makeshift left-back with Hull light on the ground in that position.
A cultured ball-playing defender, who has amassed 126 appearances in the Championship, it is surprising City are letting him go in their current predicament, and fans have voiced their anger over the low £500k fee.
“£500,000 seems a low fee for a player of his age and experience. He may have wanted to leave but we’re awful at getting decent fees for players,” one fan wrote.
“500k? 1 mil would have been more like it. Maybe 1.5,” someone else commented while a third said: “Half a mil? Jesus wept, basket case of a club continues!!”
“Had our pants down if the fee is 500k,” another stated, and a sixth pointed out: “Hate to see him leave, but if he’s been guaranteed first team football, then he deserves it. Been a loyal player for us.”
“£500k is an annoyingly low fee for a Championship player in his prime. Wish him all the best,” a seventh replied.
Reasons why McLoughlin is being sold
Admittedly, only receiving £500,000 for someone approaching the prime years of his career to a Championship rival is baffling, but there are several reasons why Hull are sanctioning his exit.
With Semi Ajayi, Charlie Hughes, John Egan and Alfie Jones all ahead of him in the pecking order as things stand, McLoughlin wouldn’t be guaranteed to start at centre-back.
Currently, Ryan Giles is the most likely to start at left-back, another position McLoughlin can play, leaving him rooted to the bench in both instances.
In a normal transfer window without restrictions being imposed on the Tigers, there would be no issue with selling the Irishman.
But as Hull can only sign players on a free transfer, selling McLoughlin and Jones gives Sergej Jakirovic potentially another problem to resolve when centre-back is arguably their strongest position on the pitch.