Sergej Jakirovic dealt first major Hull City blow as ‘amazing’ star poised to leave for Liga MX outfit

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Hull City are preparing for life without one of the club’s most important players from their 2024/25 Championship campaign.

Despite keeping the Tigers safe from League One relegation last season, Hull sacked Ruben Selles in May to end his six-month stay at the MKM Stadium.

Hull appointed former Kayserispor head coach Sergej Jakirovic to succeed Selles, who becomes the sixth permanent head coach of Acun Ilicali’s Tigers era.

As the summer transfer window continues, the Tigers have begun to search for more fresh faces for Jakirovic.

One expert was stunned by Hull City’s decision to appoint Jakirovic ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season, and now the Bosnian manager looks poised to lose one of Hull’s most important stars.

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Hull City star Joao Pedro ‘will leave’ after agreement with Atletico San Luis

Departures from the MKM Stadium have already begun this summer, with midfielder Xavi Simons signed by Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee.

Another Hull star poised to depart the club is 33-year-old forward Joao Pedro, who was the club’s top goalscorer last season on six goals.

Loanee Joe Gelhardt ended the season behind Pedro with five goals, and both Birmingham City and Wrexham are eyeing Gelhardt, who is therefore not looking likely to return to the Tigers for another loan spell next term.

Journalist Gianluigi Longari confirmed on X that the Italian forward is set to leave Hull after just one Championship season with the club, to join Mexican outfit Atletico San Luis, who finished 15th in the top flight of Mexican football last season.

Longari said: “Former Cagliari and Fenerbahçe striker Joao Pedro will leave Hull City. Agreement with Mexicans Atletico San Luis is close.”

After his stunning goal in the 1-1 draw against Bristol City in March, Selles heaped praise on the forward for playing a vital role in helping his side earn a crucial point.

Selles told the BBC: “The overall performance from the very beginning, winning the ball high and trying to play vertical with the build-up, showed the boys were ready to make a good performance and be competitive.

“The goal was a clear example of that. It was an amazing action from Joao with his technical ability.”

Pedro’s absence will be sorely felt by newly-appointed Tigers boss Jakirovic in his first months at the club, and his departure now makes Hull owner Ilicali’s next order of summer business glaringly obvious.

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Hull City need to sign target Matija Frigan amid Joao Pedro’s departure

If Hull are to have any chance of surviving in the second tier next season, in Jakirovic’s first campaign as a manager in English football, then the Tigers’ transfer team must get to work on signing quality reinforcements upfront.

The Tigers have been linked with a move for Croatian striker Matija Frigan, and Hull have every reason to feel optimistic in their pursuit as the former Sunderland target has been open to a move this summer.

Frigan believed Sunderland’s interest in him was “serious” in January, and could now get his chance to make a Championship move if Hull shell out a sizable fee to KVC Westerlo for his services.

Admittedly, in a less competitive league, 22-year-old Frigan scored 14 goals and notched two assists for Westerlo last season, an improvement on the six goals and two assists from Pedro for Hull.

Although it would be a blow to lose last season’s top scorer, and with loanee Gelhardt now set for a move elsewhere in the league, signing a goalscorer of Frigan’s prowess and potential would go a long way to fill the void left by the imminent departure of Pedro.