Hull Live readers are horrified to hear that Hull City have been hit with a transfer embargo that will last for three transfer windows. This will prohibit the club from paying a fee for a player until the January transfer window of 2027. The EFL informed Hull City on Thursday afternoon that the embargo would come into effect from Friday, 4 July 2025.
Hull Live has discovered that the reason behind the transfer embargo is due to the club's failure to pay a £1m loan fee to Aston Villa for the loan of Louie Barry last season. The Tigers were contacted by the EFL on Monday afternoon and were informed that a temporary embargo had been put in place while the club provided an explanation for the non-payment regarding Barry's loan, that has now become a full embargo.
City are optimistic about their appeal, having already paid the initial instalment of the Barry loan fee. Insiders suggest that the club is confident they had an agreement to settle the remaining balance in a specific timeframe.
However, it's understood that the Barry payment is not the only issue, with other concerns surrounding the club's financial position.
Commenter Kingstonupontiger says: “Many have been concerned for the past year about the club losing £2m a month. Acun didn't seem to be too bothered about it. This latest embargo is not only an embarrassment, but it also shows the owner and the board are not playing by the rules and putting the club in danger. Stability for the club looks miles off. How will players now trust the owner ?. How will players be attracted to come here in the future? Not being able to sign players for 3 windows will end in certain relegation and some painful years.”
Waggy replies: “Remember we have two good attacking players coming back from long term injury. We already have a reasonable defensive set up. The midfield is in a state of flux depending on who we sell / keep but with these new players on the park to hopefully stimulate goal scoring, we still have a team that can keep us away from relegation. Chin up chaps!”
Captjwp thinks: “Acun can only really be accused of being extremely naive in dealing with the bigger clubs. Things were going along swimmingly with Villa in the transfer of Barry until the 50% sell on fee was added. Let's see what happens tomorrow. City has survived a lot worse than this.”
Waggy10 disagrees: “It’s not really a surprise. Just look at the compensation paid and players coming on big salaries. On top of this we have a dreadful recruiting team that is out of their depth yet they say all the right things to Acun. He is not and never has been a footballing man and his own perceived knowledge of the game plus his vanity has resulted in a financial mish mash and I suspect impending disaster. It saddens me as we have the infrastructure and fan base to really kick on. I sincerely hope this is a flash in the pan and there is no truth to the rumours.”
Felix1234 says: “Maybe it is time for some home truths. Think we need an investor pretty quickly or we sell the best players . Either way some clarity is needed for the fans so we know what to expect going forward.”
Busted1956 wonders: “Does this mean Sergej won’t be getting his wish list? Sergej came to make a name for himself in England as a stepping stone for a bigger job. Now with his hands tied behind his back, he must be reconsidering his decision. Acun sold him a dream and he bought it, like the rest of us supporters. Hopefully Acun can work his magic and find some investment. Two days ago we were buying this, that and the other and now we have 18 months to save up to buy a couple of pints!”
Crabby Clause thinks: “Oops the truth will out, no wonder there has been talk about the sale of players. This is nearly all about unrealistic dreams. We should build the club slowly using free transfers and young players from our own development squad and set a realistic target of staying in this league.”
Beverley1 pleads: “Acun out please, that’s the only way this club will survive. We could be back in league 2 very easily very soon.”
AndyHKR agrees: “Is the end nigh for Acun?”
Mostlysunnywiththeoddshower retorts: “Nil Desperandum! I have heard that City have now paid the million to Aston Villa. The EFL were set to announce the embargo Friday. If they proceed, then City's appeal should result in an immediate return to normal. It seems the deal for Barrie was due to be announced Friday but can't happen with an embargo in place - so the timing of that is linked to the EFL's actions and timings. Forgive me if I'm wrong but this looks more like a storm in a teacup. Give Acun a break. He's invested a lot in City. His heart is in the right place. Get behind him.”
Are you confident about the future of Hull City? What do you think the solution to the current issue is? Have your say in our comments section.