Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
As we all know, rumours have a life of their own, and after yesterday's Twitter speculation on a Hull City move for Grant Holt, today The Sun and The Star both confidently claim Steve Bruce is in pole position to sign the Norwich striker.
Holt, 32, could be snared for just £2m, according to The Sun, and offers proven Premier League experience - even if his impact last season was modest. He is also keen to be based in the north to be closer to his family in Cumbria (if you're asking how Hull is now close to Cumbria, that's the national media for you) and would not balk at City's pay structure.
All in all, a good squad addition? Well, it's fair to say opinion is split. Here's one response from Twitter: "No offence, but I'd rather bring Deano out of retirement".Darren Bent has been persistently linked with a move to the KC, along with Newcastle, Fulham and Crystal Palace. But The Sun reports Villa have yet to receive a single offer for the former England striker, 29. It seems everyone is happy to play a waiting game right now in the hope Villa will drop their £8m price tag towards the end of the transfer window.
Two shouts from today's People: Stoke City have joined the race for striker Carlton Cole, and Nottingham Forest are preparing a £4m bid for Burnley's Charlie Austin. Something tells us Forest will have to do better than that! Burnley boss Sean Dyche has made it VERY clear that no club has yet met the Clarets valuation of Austin - believed to be closer to £5m - and their standoff with the Tigers continues.
Here's Burnsy's take on Austin this morning, via Twitter: "I'm hearing #hcafc closing in on Austin; Mcgregor tomorrow?; no go on Huddlestone at mo; £2m Pl midfielder who?; Hooper unlikely; striker?"
Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon is holding talks with Manchester City over his future this weekend, according to Clubcall, which believes Steve Bruce is ready with a £4m bid for the 6ft 8in Romanian.
More on Jozy Altidore: The former City striker has told NASN he is ready to build on his Premier League experience in 2009-10.
"I have played 100-plus games (since leaving Hull). Playing there at that age and playing in the best league in the world, you can't expect to hit the ground running," he said.
"Some of my performances at Hull were not as bad as people think, some of them were actually pretty good.
"I don't look back at it as a sad experience. It was a great experience because I got to see what the highest level was like."
The USA international is expected to fetch between £4m and £7m for his Dutch club AZ Alkmaar - which would make him something of a gamble - but his performances last season suggested he could be a real handful for top-level defences - and he is still only 23.Crazy Twitter talk: Leaving aside today's campaign to bring Dele Adebola back to the club (sarcasm isn't dead then? #TheAdebolaRevolution), names in the 140-character frame include goalkeeping prospect Simon Moore from Brentford - a 23-year-old with four "caps" for the Isle of Wight. But our favourite silly rumour of the day has to be Assem Allam selling his shipping company to fund the release cause for £52m Edinson Cavani! Well, we can all dream.June 29
Celtic continue to fret over Gary Hooper.
Captain Scott Brown has joined boss Neil Lennon's calls for Hooper to have another crack at the Champions League, rather than move to Hull City - the Glasgow Evening Times reports today.
Brown says: "What Gary's done for us in the last two or three seasons has been incredible.
"I hope he stays. But, at the end of the day, it is up to him and the club.
"After what we did last season, someone is always going to come in and have a go at buying one or two of our players."
Bruce is hoping 31-goal Hooper will spearhead his Tigers in the Premier League - but may have to pay £5m-plus. Norwich also remain interested, according to the Daily Mail.
Speculation continues today about a possible City bid for Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone.
The Mirror says Steve Bruce is "keeping an eye on developments" as Sunderland negotiate a £5m move for the former England midfielder.
Galatasaray will resist City's attempts to sign Moroccan winger Nordin Amrabat, says Clubcall.com.
Amrabat - who can play on either wing - impressed during the Turkish giants' run to the Champions League quarter-finals and would be a fine complement to Ahmed Elmohamady, who signed permanent terms with City yesterday.
Initial reports suggested the 26-year-old could be available on a loan basis - because Turkish teams are allowed to field only a limited number of foreign players. Any permanent deal would likely cost upwards of £7m.
More on the Charlie Austin saga: Burnley boss Sean Dyche has again rubbished reports a deal with City is close.
"There's been no agreement reached," he told the Burnley Express. "The noises are just the same because there's people hovering and clubs interested but nothing is appropriate for us at this time so he's getting on with pre-season for us.
"There's no reason to think any different until it becomes any different."
However, the Clarets would still be willing to let Austin go - for the right offer.
"We want to keep the best players at the club but there is that reality with the financial situation that we have to work within," said Dyche. "We're just monitoring it as it unfolds ... Charlie has come back in good shape and he's looking to crack on."Jozy Altidore says he is a "different player" to the young striker who made his Premier League debut for Hull City in 2009.
The USA internatial scored just one goal in 28 appearances for the Tigers - but has since resurrected his career with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
Quoted on the Chronicle Live website, Altidore said: "I think I was 19 or just turned 20 and I had not played in Europe before that. I have come a long way since then. I am almost a different player and I have learned a lot."
Altidore, who scored 31 goals last season, is reportedly a £7m target for Sunderland.
"It would be a pleasure to play in a league like that again," he said.Crazy Twitter talk: Should Bruce sign Grant Holt? The Norwich striker - who scored eight goals in 34 Premier League appearances last term - has been cool on speculation he is set to sign for Crystal Palace and is thought to fancy a move up north. Holt is valued at £4m, but a source close to the player told yesterday's Croydon Advertiser he could be available for less.June 28
Hull City have joined Sunderland in the race for Spurs midfielder Tom Huddlestone, according to the Sunderland Echo.
The Black Cats have held talks over Huddlestone and are willing to meet Tottenham's valuation, believed to be between £4m and £5m
But Steve Bruce has also enquired about the former England international, who is keen on a move that will guarantee first-team football, according to the Echo.
Huddlestone, 26, missed much of the 2011-12 season through injury but made 29 appearances last term.
The talented ball-player would undoubtedly be a fine addition to Bruce's squad and new City signing Curtis Davies has already backed a move.
Davies tweeted: "I'd love to have [him] with us, not only as a friend but he's a #Baller. Won't see many better passers of a ball."
The Charlie Austin stand-off between Hull City and Burnley continues, according to today's Lancashire Telegraph.
Clarets chief executive Lee Hoos has confirmed City have yet to meet their valuation of Austin.
City have yet to give up on Austin - who has just a year remaining on his contract - putting some pressure on Burnley to take the money while they can.
However, Hoos seems unwilling to throw in the towel just yet.
He said: "Unless someone puts a bid in that meets our valuation, he has a year left here."
Meanwhile, Celtic boss Neil Lennon is hoping he can persuade Tigers target Gary Hooper to stay at Parkhead.
City have had a bid of around £4.5 million rejected by the Scottish champions and Lennon said the club's current offer remained "well below" Celtic's valuation of the player.
He told Sky Sports: "We had a bid from Hull City which we rejected.
"Whether they come again, I don't know. As you were.
"No set price. The offer made was well below our valuation of the player.
"We would be very happy for him to stay and if he decides to stay on, contract negotiations may re-open again.
"He will come to Germany on Monday and will be part of our plans for the (Champions League) qualifiers."
Kasper Schmeichel says rumours linking him to a KC Stadium move are "ridiculous".
Bruce has tried to the 26-year-old goalkeeper away from Leicester, but was unable to agree a deal.
"I've never said I wanted to leave Leicester," Schmeichel told Leicester's website.
"You hear speculation of things you're supposed to have said or done, like handing in transfer requests and it's just ridiculous.
Schmeichel - who expressed similar sentiments on Twitter last week - added: "There has never been a thought in my mind that I wouldn't be coming back to Leicester."
"I've said many times before that I enjoy playing for this football club, I enjoy coming to work every day and I want to be successful here."
African sources claim City will put in a £5m bid today for Gent's Belgian striker Ilombe Mboyo.Ahmed Elmohamady's permanent move to the KC is expected to be confirmed within the next 24 hours.Crazy Twitter talk: Another day, another goalkeeper linked with the Tigers. Today, Nottingham Forest's Karl Darlow. The 22-year-old is one of the Championship's brighter prospects and would be one for the future after making 20 appearances for Forest last season and nine on loan at Walsall.June 27
Whilst things are speeding up down at the KC Stadium with James Chester signing his new three-year deal yesterday and Liam Rosenior and Ahmed Elmohamady expected to follow suit in the coming days, the bid to bring in Celtic's Gary Hooper looks set to rumble on.
Despite it being our understanding that both the player and club are willing to do a deal with the Tigers, Hoops boss Neil Lennon says City's current offer remains 'way below' the club's valuation, and he has made it clear he is desperate for Hooper to stay.
One deal City are certainly closer on is that for Scotland keeper Allan McGregor
, with the Daily Mirror saying he has agreed to take a pay cut to leave Besiktas to move to the KC Stadium.
City's owners have long stated their intention to ensure they don't pay over the odds, but, according to the Mirror, McGregor will still take a wage of £25,000 a week at the KC.
If you want to follow the forums and Twitter talk, then you'd be led to belive today that City have made a £6m to sign Gent hotshot Ilombe Mboyo in a bid to beat Swansea to his signature.
Various reports suggest Steve Bruce has turned to the Belgian, having been knocked back by former West Ham striker Carlton Cole.
Sources close to the Tigers have told the Mail however that City are reluctant to bring in the striker given he served a prison sentence for his part in a gang rape when aged 16.
