Acun Ilicali left with crucial decision as Hull City face £16m in bids for two star players

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Hull City chief Acun Ilicali is facing a late bombardment of interest in two key Tigers stars as one huge decision looms.

Hull City have been prohibited from spending transfer fees this summer after restrictions were put in place by the EFL.

Whilst the transfer fee restriction has been reduced from three windows to two, Tigers chief Acun Ilicali is disappointed that it was not further reduced, meaning that Hull City will be under such strict protocols until next summer.

The situation that the club find themselves in has placed emphasis on keeping hold of key players, but that has become more challenging as Hull City face bombardments from Premier League and Championship clubs for star players.

Two players have notably attracted interest, leaving Ilicali with a major predicament. 

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Hull City receive bids for star duo Charlie Hughes and Ivor Pandur

It was reported yesterday that West Ham United were keen on Ivor Pandur, Hull City’s trusted shot-stopper who has enjoyed a positive start to the season. After news broke of talks taking place, it was revealed by Hull Daily Mail that a £6m bid had come in for the Croatian goalkeeper.

That has been followed up by news of Coventry City submitting a third bid of £10m for Charlie Hughes, after the previous £4m and £7m were rejected by Hull City.

Hughes has been Frank Lampard’s top target for some time, and whilst both him and Pandur are happy at the MKM Stadium, a crunch decision awaits Acun Ilicali over the potential income of an accumulative £16m from two players.

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Why Acun Ilicali must not entertain offers

Due to the circumstances that Hull City find themselves in, it would surely take a huge bid for Acun Ilicali to consider selling either Charlie Hughes or Ivor Pandur.

With the Tigers pair both content to stay at the club in the short term, there seems no logical sense to let either player go at that price.

Hull City would face difficulty replacing either Pandur or Hughes due to their transfer fee restriction, and it would make survival in the Championship much more of an uphill struggle.

Hughes is viewed as a future £20m asset by Hull City, so with there being no immediate need to cash in on the young centre-back, a sale at Coventry City’s current valuation would be unlikely to take place.