Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
Will Hull City have to raise their offer again for Charlie Austin?
Yesterday, we reported how City were pressing forward with bids for Austin and Celtic's Gary Hooper in the hope of finally landing one or the other.
City are stressing to both clubs that they are only prepared to push one of the two deals to conclusion. The Tigers would then look to sign a second striker on loan later in the transfer window.
The firm stance on price has seen City bring both Celtic and Burnley back to the table for negotiations despite being well apart on initial valuations.
Burnley have been looking for at least £5m for Austin, with the Tigers' previous offer standing at £3.5m, before being improved this week.
Today's Lancashire Telegraph claims the Tigers are no closer to signing the Clarets' prized possession.
While conceding City remain favourites to sign Austin, the Telegraph insists the clubs are still some way apart in the valuations and suggest Burnley are reluctant to fall so far from their initial hope of receiving £7m.
Stoke City were also linked with Austin this week, but the Telegraph says Potters boss Mark Hughes has not registered an interest.
Meanwhile, The Express says City will abandon their pursuit of Celtic's Hooper in order to concentrate on Austin. Just to make things even more complicated, it suggests Neil Lennon could target Austin himself to replace Hooper!
The Express says: "The Tigers left [a £4m-£5m] offer on the table knowing the SPL champions weren't going to get the auction they wanted for a player entering the final year of his deal.
"Hull have since stepped up their efforts to land Austin, who is also in the final year of his contract, for around £4m.
"Sources close to Hooper expect that deal to go through and for Hull to cool their interest in the Celtic star."
Writing in the Burnley Express, football writer Dan Black blames the Clarets' lack of forward-planning for allowing City to offer just £4m for Austin.
He says: "A belated offer of a contract extension to striker Charlie Austin means that Hull City are on the verge of an absolute steal. Why would anyone pay over the odds for a player who would also walk away for free in 12 months time?"
"I admire the club for holding out for a bid that meets their valuation - with the Tigers yet to meet the club's estimation for the player - but I feel his sale price would have been far more enriched had the 23-year-old been offered and accepted a contract extension at an earlier date.
"Nobody wants rid of their prized possessions, but if Austin doesn't leave for a cut price now then a striker with 28 goals in all competitions to his name last season also faces the prospect of heading out the door on a freebie."
As we report today, Stoke midfielder Wilson Palacios is the latest target for Steve Bruce.
Our own Phil Buckingham says: "He ticks the boxes for Premier League experience and is well known by Bruce, who had him at Birmingham and Wigan before trying to sign him on loan last October.
"City's current centre midfield options are lacking in Premier League experience."
This morning's Stoke Sentinel says £26,000-a-week Palacios has struggled to fit in at the Britannia.
"Palacios seemed an ideal signing for Stoke when he arrived at the Britannia Stadium as part of a £16m double deal with Tottenham striker Peter Crouch. However, Stoke fans have only seen glimpses of his top form.
"The 28-year-old started nine games in his first season for Stoke but none in his second as manager Tony Pulis became frustrated by what he saw as the player's failure to become both physically and mentally attuned to the demands of life in the Premier League at the Britannia.
"Nevertheless, having enjoyed success with Palacios before, Bruce will back himself to get the best out of the Honduran if he can agree a deal with the Potters."
However, while Palacios is a serious target, Lee Cattermole is not.
Phil adds: "I heard the links with Cattermole at Sunderland last week but I'm told City are not interested."
Talking of the Black Cats, Paulo Di Canio have seen a £4m bid rejected for former Hull City striker Jozy Altidore, according to The Daily Mail.
Altidore, 23, has served an excellent apprenticeship and now looks ready for a Premier League breakthrough after scoring 31 times in the Dutch league last season. But with his club AZ Almaar looking for a fee well beyond £4m, City may see him as too expensive for their summer plans.
Elsewhere today, Darren Bent - linked with a move to the KC - has been told he will play no part in Aston Villa's pre-season, according to the Daily Mail.Crazy Twitter talk: Could Matty Fryatt be a makeweight in the Austin deal? Rumours on Twitter suggest the former Leicester man could move to Turf Moor.July 2
Hull City are close to agreeing terms with Celtic on Gary Hooper but also yesterday increased their offer to Burnley for Charlie Austin.City will look to push both Celtic and Burnley into completing a deal before the weekend - making it clear they will not sign both.
Assuming a deal is done for either player, City will then look to add another striker through the loan market in the coming weeks.
Rumours this morning that City have been given permission to talk to Austin have yet to be confirmed.
The Tigers remain hopeful of signing Austin, but Stoke City's interest could upset the applecart.
The Stoke Sentinel's Martin Baggeley says Austin could be a good fit at the Britannia.
"It's safe to assume that Austin's goalscoring rather than his bricklaying skills would interest Hughes.
"The striker has scored 82 goals in 155 league games for Swindon and Burnley since the Robins snapped him up from Poole Town four years ago.
"He's only 23 so could be the right age for Stoke to complete a deal."
Meanwhile, Norwich remain interested in Hooper and will put in a £4.5m bid, according to The Sun, which claims the former Scunthorpe man would prefer the Canaries over the Tigers.
The signing of former Rangers stopper Allan McGregor has been confirmed today. He will join City for £1.8m from Besiktas.Mark Oxley will now head out on loan to Oldham, according to Sky Sports. Oxley is set to sign a six-month loan with City having a 24-hour recall clause in the deal.
Norwich City striker Grant Holt continues to be linked with a move north, but there has been no official approach from City. Richard Dunne - put forward by The Daily Mail as a potential Bruce target - is wanted by Blackburn Rovers, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.
Here's one just for discussion: who should The Tigers look at on the loan front? Squawka.com has started the rumour mill turning by putting forward five names it thinks would boost Bruce's survival prospects.
Liverpool's attacking midfielder Jonjo Shelvey - wanted by Swansea - and Arsenal's promising 21-year-old full-back Carl Jenkinson are interesting shouts, but it is surely pie in the sky to suggest Manchester United midfielder Anderson and Manchester City's dangerous winger Scott Sinclair would move to the KC.
So, how about another Blues prospect John Guidetti? The 21-year-old Swedish striker scored 20 goals in 23 appearances on loan at Feyenoord a couple of seasons back, and Squawka suggests a link-up with Bruce could see him enjoy a breakout season. Guidetti was linked with Sunderland last month.Crazy Twitter talk: Those Adam Le Fondre rumours have returned. The £3m-rated Reading striker scored 12 goals in Reading's relegation season, despite starting the majority of his 34 games on the bench. July 1
It's all about Charlie Austin this morning - and despite various claims Hull City have agreed a fee for the striker, Burnley are maintaining that nothing is doing ... yet.
Chris Boden, chief football writer at the Burnley Express, has spoken to the club's joint-chairman John Banaszkiewicz this morning and confirms nothing has been agreed - "although interest is picking up by the day".
Banaszkiewicz says: "We're trying our best to keep him and have offered him a very good contract - he's a terrific goalscorer and we've tried to see the best deal the club can offer him. It might not be enough to keep him, but we'll see."
The Clarets add from their official Twitter account: "Contrary to media reports, Burnley Football Club has not agreed any deal with Hull City for striker Charlie Austin".
Stoke could yet hijack a deal for Austin, according to today's Daily Star, which claims Sunderland are also interested. Burnley - playing hardball in the hope of bringing in £5m for their 23-year-old hotshot - will only say they have had communication with a number of clubs.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Allan McGregor is set to arrive from Besiktas before the start of pre-season training on Thursday. Full story on McGregor here.
Sources say City have also made "steady progress" over the past week in negotiations for Celtic striker Gary Hooper.
Those Richard Dunne rumours have surfaced again. The Daily Mail says Steve Bruce admires the former Aston Villa free agent.
Despite his undoubted experience at centre-back, fans will wonder if Dunne can overcome injury problems that kept him out of the whole of last season. However, the 33-year-old was back in the Irish national side this summer and could prove a shrewd buy. Derby are also said to be interested.
Back to goalkeepers, and The Sun drops Scott Carson's name into its list of Hull City targets today. The former Liverpool stopper is currently playing for Bursapor.Darren Bent remains keen on a move to Newcastle, according to The Telegraph, but will seek reassurances that Alan Pardew is staying on Tyneside. City have also been linked with the former England striker but, as reported yesterday, Villa have yet to receive a single bid.Crazy Twitter talk:Gedo will fly in for talks today, and City will sign Aussie striker Scott McDonald from Middlesbrough, according to the imaginative world of micro-blogging.More to follow. Check back shortly for all today's transfer talk.June 30
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.
