La Liga outfit confirm Oli McBurnie decision as Hull embargo gives Swansea a gift

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With Swansea City hopeful of bringing Oli McBurnie back to South Wales, Championship rivals Hull appear to have seen their advantage snatched away as news of their transfer embargo emerged.

Six years after joining Sheffield United for an eye-watering £20 million, Swansea are keen on a McBurnie reunion.

The Leeds-born targetman enjoyed the most prolific season of his career across the border. It was those 22 Championship goals during the 2018/19 which secured Oli McBurnie a spot amongst the biggest sales in Swans’ history.

But, after McBurnie confirmed his plan to leave La Liga outfit Las Palmas upon the expiry of his contract earlier in the summer, another second-tier club with play-off ambitions wasted no time throwing their own hat into the ring.

No team in the second tier scored fewer goals [44] last season than a Hull City side who avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth.

No wonder the Hull faithful were begging owner Acun Ilicali for attacking additions.

Las Palmas announce Oli McBurnie exit as Swansea City overtake Hull

Despite his fond memories of South Wales, the Hull Daily Mail reported that McBurnie was favouring a move to Humberside. Hull were confident that McBurnie can drag an underachieving club from the lower regions of the Championship to within the promotion picture.

That was, however, until they were hit with a transfer embargo in a bombshell development on Thursday evening, via The Telegraph.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, the sporting director at the MKM Stadium, Jared Dublin went public with Hull’s interest in the one-time Bradford, Bristol City and Newport County forward this week. A sudden embargo, though, should serve to put Swansea in pole position.

Only one day after Dublin’s comments emerged, meanwhile, Las Palmas confirmed via their official X account that McBurnie would be leaving the Canary Islands after one season on Spanish soil.

The 29-year-old Scotland international is leaving alongside compatriot Scott McKenna and one-time Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cilessen.

McBurnie was a big hit at Las Palmas, even if he found the net only three times during a campaign which ended in relegation. This old-school throwback of a centre-forward impressed supporters with his ferocious leading of the line.

One of McBurnie’s six assists, meanwhile, came during a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid.

Jared Dublin confirms McBurnie interest as Hull’s Louie Barry chase stalls

If Hull had gotten their man, McBurnie would have replaced Joao Pedro at the MKM. The veteran Brazilian saw his contract terminated by mutual consent in June.

“For us, it’s about, ‘do we have that extra bit of quality to go and take us from being a top ten team to maybe something that gets over the line’? Dublin said at a time when Hull were still able to spend.

“That is the ambition that the chairman [Ilicali] set out. It’s up to us to deliver upon that. So, Oli would be in that category.

“I would say any time you go for a target of an Oli McBurnie – that type of status with Premier League history and Premier League experience – there is going to be other interest. So rarely do we find a player that there’s no one in for.

“That’s all that I can say about that situation.”

McBurnie is not the first attacker who could miss out on a switch to Humberside this summer.

Hull were close to signing Aston Villa’s Louie Barry, until talks stalled due to concerns over the Tigers’ ability to meet the financial requirements involved in a potential £3.5 million deal.