Hull City, led by Sergej Jakirovic, struck gold when Oli McBurnie chose a new Championship challenge over offers from former employers Sheffield United and Swansea.
Hull faced a transfer embargo earlier in the window. According to the current situation, the Tigers will not be able to pay any transfer fees until January 2027.
Fortunately, Oli McBurnie became a free agent after leaving Las Palmas following their relegation from Spain’s top division. As a result, there were no constraints that prevented Jakirovic from signing an experienced centre-forward who scored 13 goals in his most recent second-tier season.
As verified by Ruben Selles and Alan Sheehan on Friday, McBurnie turned down offers from Sheffield United and Swansea before signing at the MKM Stadium. Sheffield United was one of the clubs linked with Red Star Belgrade forward Cherif Ndiaye this week.
At the very least, Hull will have McBurnie present. Selles’ Sheffield United have yet to sign a striker this summer despite losing both Kieffer Moore and Rhian Brewster, and it appears that Ndiaye will not be joining the Blades anytime soon.
Cherif Ndiaye has agreed to join Al Jazira, according to Hull City and Sheffield United
According to Serbian daily Max Sports, scouts from Hull City and Sheffield United were present as Ndiaye scored from the penalty spot during Red Star Belgrade’s 1-1 draw with Lech Poznan in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League qualifier.
After concluding last season with 22 goals and seven assists in all competitions, the well-travelled Senegalese international picked up where he left off.
But, less than 24 hours after Crvena Zvezda defeated their Polish opponents 4-2 on aggregate, it appears that Cherif Ndiaye is packing his bags and leaving.
According to Mozzart Sport, Al Jazira, a club headquartered in the UAE, has agreed to a fee of £7 million. Al Jazira was initially willing to pay more than that. They offered Ndiaye £8.5 million to leave Red Star immediately.
However, the reigning Serbian champions have decided to accept a lower cost in exchange for Ndiaye’s services until the Champions League play-offs conclude. Regardless, his future appears to be in Abu Dhabi rather than West Yorkshire or Humberside.
Ndiaye’s new colleagues will feature Karim Rekik, a former Manchester City prospect, and Nabil Fekir, a former Real Betis playmaker.
Ruben Selles urges Blades buys as Hull faces Abu Kamara’s departure
Jakirovic, on the other hand, is slated to add ex-Manchester United starlet Brandon Williams to his squad, as well as David Akintola from Turkish club Caykur Rizespor. Akintola’s presence may help Hull move on from Abu Kamara.
According to Hull Live, Rangers and Birmingham City have both expressed interest in Kamara. Another centre-forward on The Tigers’ radar, Matija Frigan, is open to reconciling with former Rijeka coach Jakirovic after a 15-goal season in Belgium.
However, with a £7.7 million price tag on his head, a Hull side under embargo appear powerless to test the will of KVC Westerlo. Hull are also unlikely to steal Al Jazira’s Ndiaye contract if they are restricted to loan deals and McBurnie-style freebies.
Ruben Selles has made no secret of his desire to add fresh players to his Yorkshire squad. Especially after the humiliating 4-1 home defeat to Bristol City on the opening day.
“I will be very disappointed if someone goes out before someone comes in,” a confident Selles acknowledges.
“We can’t let that happen anymore. “Definitely, [recruitment] is not in the back of my mind. This is one of the requests made to the board. You need a mix of veteran players in the division to provide a foundation for younger prospects to grow.”
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