It’s make or break for Acun Ilicali at Hull City as the Turkish owner wants the Tigers to be challenging for a place in the top six.
After narrowly avoiding relegation in 2024/25 and sacking Ruben Selles as a result, Hull have hired Sergej Jakirovic.
The Bosnian has arrived at the MKM Stadium having never managed previously, though Acun Ilicali is handing him the tools to achieve success.
Hull have made four new signings so far, most notably free agent Semi Ajayi, but Ilicali plans on bringing seven or eight players into the club.
One of those is Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien, whose stance has been shared ahead of a potential switch to East Yorkshire.
Lewis O'Brien of Swansea City celebrates in front of home supporters after the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Oxford United FC
Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images
Lewis O’Brien is open to joining Hull City
Jakirovic could need to acquire a new deep-lying midfielder to compete with the likes of Regan Slater and Gustavo Puerta, with Steven Alzate expected to leave the MKM Stadium.
Hull have been linked with O’Brien as a possible option after spending the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Swansea City, where he made 16 appearances and scored once.
The Tigers now want to land the 26-year-old permanently this summer, and according to Hull Live, the midfield maestro is ‘keen’ on moving to the club as it would enable him to be closer to his West Yorkshire home.
O’Brien sees his contract expire at the City Ground in 2026, which is why Forest are keen to cash in on the former Huddersfield Town star.
There were reports that Hull had bid £5 million for the Colchester-born talent, though Hull Live revealed those claims were wide of the mark.
What Steve Cooper has said about Lewis O’Brien
Steve Cooper was the man who brought O’Brien to Nottingham Forest after winning promotion to the Premier League in 2022.
The midfielder only featured 13 times during that top-flight campaign and has since made just four senior appearances for the Reds, spending most of his time out on loan.
But despite finding game time difficult in the Premier League, Cooper was initially excited about his arrival, pointing out his greatest attributes.
“Lewis is a great ball carrier, he has a good engine and is great technically. He is tactically good as well,” the Welshman said. “Lewis is driven to do well. I had a good conversation with him about that and it is important to us.
“We can get even more out of him, which is the exciting bit. I had a positive talk with (Ryan) Yatesy about him because they had a few good ding-dongs. There is a real mutual respect between them.”
O’Brien is now looking for a permanent home after multiple loan stints, and Hull are currently leading the race to sign him.