The Tigers know they must bolster Sergej Jakirovic's squad ready for life in the Premier League
15:00, 13 Jul 2026
Sergej Jakirovic during a Hull City game
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Sergej Jakirovic will hope for new additions to his Hull City side in the very near future(Image: Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Okan Özkan will arrive at Hull City with no hint of a honeymoon period, no time to get his feet under the table and slowly get to grips with his new surroundings. His in-tray is already jam-packed, as we await official confirmation of his new post.
Matters are pressing for the Tigers, as they look to prepare themselves for the battle of Premier League football, and time is quickly running out.
City's players returned to pre-season training on Monday, and from then on, time will fly in short order, and before they know it, Manchester United will be at the MKM Stadium ready to kick off the new season on August 22.
By that point, Sergej Jakirovic must have been provided with players who give the squad a chance of competing. As it stands, the squad that returns to work on Monday will be significantly weaker than the one that departed the Hilton hotel at Wembley on the morning after their remarkable play-off final victory. That's not out of the ordinary, given how football works, especially in the Championship, but it does highlight how much work lies ahead.
All their loan players have gone back to their parent clubs, Ivor Pandur has been sold and so far, only Jack Butland has arrived. This is not a time to panic; however, there must be an acceptance of the need to results sooner rather than later.
Oscar Zambrano is coming in, as is Swedish World Cup star Elliot Stroud. Other discussions remain ongoing, with Jakirovic keen to strike a triple deal for Toni Fruk, Rokas Pusktas and Marco Pasalic.
Largely, aside from Tottenham's spending spree, little has happened in the Premier League's transfer market so far. Of course, the World Cup has had an impact, but also, clubs in the top flight will only start returning to training over the next few days, and then, of course, business will pick up.
The Tigers, though, cannot afford to be caught sleeping. Two years ago, they were, and it almost cost them relegation to League One. Twelve months ago, the transfer restrictions changed the landscape, though they dealt with it extremely well, and are in the position they are because of it.
Now, Jared Dublin's departure is unsettling for many, and no doubt, there will be a period of transition as Özkan gets to grips with the way the club works, how English football is, how Martin Hodge operates and the rest of the recruitment staff. That period of transition, however, cannot be to the detriment of bringing good players in, and sooner rather than later.
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City are already starting from a weaker position than Coventry City and Ipswich Town, for example. Both those clubs arguably had greater depth in their squads last season, and had three extra weeks to plot their work, having won promotion much earlier than the Tigers.
Jakirovic's squad performed miracles last season in achieving what they did, but they need help. They need support. Quality must be brought in and while there is time before the campaign gets underway and then another week or so after that, before the transfer window closes, the clock is ticking.
Everybody at the club worked so, so hard to secure promotion, but collectively, they must make the most of the opportunity they earned and not allow it to pass them by. That will take smart decisions in the market, but it will also take ambition, and they may have to push the boat out at certain times to ensure they can give it their best shot and be competitive.
The new man in post must hit the ground running, and like Dublin, he will be judged on what Jakirovic's squad looks like when the window closes early in September.
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