Liam Millar in action against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.
Liam Millar in action against Stoke City in the Carabao Cup.(Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
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Hull City could try to tempt Stoke City to relinquish their grip on Sorba Thomas by throwing Liam Millar in as part of a transfer package, it is claimed. Sky Sports report that Stoke want at least £10 million for 27-year-old Thomas from the free-spending Premier League new boys and have turned down a first offer of £5m that could rise to £7m.
Hull are "discussing a compromise", however, that "could see Millar head to Staffordshire as part of a swap deal". Millar, aged 26, is said to be on a number of Championship clubs' radars heading towards deadline day as his place in the Hull pecking order remains to be decided.
Millar has impressed against Stoke, including when he led his side out as captain in Tuesday night's Carabao Cup tie, and is known for his energy and pace - but his goal and assist output is put in the shade by Thomas, aged 27, as well as his availability. Thomas has played virtually every minute since joining Stoke from Huddersfield while Millar has only started 28 games over the last two seasons.
The Canada international, who came through the ranks at Fulham then Liverpool, recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament tear that kept him out for 11 months from October 2024 and featured regularly in the second half of last season to help Hull win promotion to the top flight.
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"I think football is just all about ups and downs," he told HullLive in January. "I'm gonna have periods where I'm gonna be really good, and then I'm gonna have periods where maybe I'm not so good.
"It's just about how you deal with it and how long it lasts. I'm not going to say I was really happy with my performances a couple of weeks ago and whatnot. I've tried to go back to basics and do what I need to do.
"I've started to play better again since I've done that, so I think it's just all about how you deal with it, how you adapt, and that's what I'm trying to do."
Millar was used from the bench in a 2-0 win over Manchester United last weekend.
Former Stoke assistant boss Dean Holden, now coaching at Hull, said last season: “(Millar) gets you up the pitch and puts the opposition on the back foot. You certainly wouldn’t want to play against him."
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