Despite transfer limitations, Hull City is expected to finalise the signing of Croatian attacker Matija Frigan from Belgian team K.V.C. Westerlo.
The 22-year-old forward, who was interested in the possibility of reconnecting with Serej Jakirovic, who managed him at Rijeka, was reportedly targeted by Hull in June. After his €5.5 million release clause was activated, Frigan scored 15 goals in 32 games for the Croatian team before signing a five-year contract with Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League in the summer of 2023.
Although the EFL penalised Hull for failing to pay a transfer installment to a Premier League club—presumably Aston Villa for last season’s Louie Barry loan deal—it now appears that the young forward is going to England.
According to reports, Hull City will get past the transfer ban in order to sign Matija Frigan. Although the club has appealed, Hull is prohibited from paying transfer fees until the beginning of the 2027 winter transfer window, meaning that no money will move for a year and a half. This is according to the EFL’s embargo service.
But more importantly, their registration embargo has been lifted, allowing them to make deals. It also looks like they have a clever solution to their Frigan problem.
Despite the transfer limitations, Croatian sources have disclosed that Frigan is now scheduled to move to East Yorkshire, according to information from BBC’s James Fletcher via X. To get past constraints, an agreement is proposed that includes no fees for the first 18 months.
After that, a loan deal is planned to become permanent for a reported charge of €9 million in 2027; however, this deal would need the EFL’s permission.
After being named head coach of Rijeka in November 2022, Jakirovic only worked with the 15-time Croatia Under-21 international for nine months.
During that period, Frigan scored 10 of his 14 league goals in his final season with the team, and Westerlo was able to sign him. Since then, he has scored 19 goals in 72 games for his current employers, including 14 last season, where he has played with players like Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, a former City winger.
Hull City continues to search for attacking reinforcements despite the embargo.
Hull City is still active in the transfer market despite the continuous financial constraints, and Frigan’s impending arrival shows their desire to address the offensive deficiencies from the previous campaign.
The Tigers‘ frontline has been pinpointed as a critical area for improvement after managing just 44 goals in the previous Championship campaign, which helped them narrowly avoid relegation on goal differential.
Frigan is anticipated to provide a much-needed cutting edge. He scored 14 goals in the Belgian Pro League the previous season. He hit double figures at Rijeka during his previous success under Jakirovic, which gives hope that he may repeat that performance at the MKM Stadium.
His inclusion comes as rumours surfaced that Hull was considering other attacking targets, including Oli McBurnie and Mahir Emreli, a forward Jakirovic knew from their days at Dinamo Zagreb.
If everything goes according to plan, Frigan’s entrance would be a major first statement in Jakirovic’s tenure. Despite limitations, the Croatian attacker, who is only 22 years old, has already recorded 41 goals and 11 assists in his career, and he might play a key role in Hull’s ambitions of a more clinical campaign in the future.
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