Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
So, Charlie Austin is finally on his way to Hull City. If all goes well with a medical today, he will finalise a three-year deal, thought to be worth around £4.5m to Burnley.
Today's Burnley Express says the Clarets have accepted they will start their pre-season programme without their prized asset.
A Burnley bid to persuade Austin to sign a new contract came too late in the day, leaving the club with little option but to accept the Tigers' final offer of £4.5m - or risk him leaving for nothing next summer. Austin's former club Swindon have a 15 per cent sell-on clause on the 24-year-old striker.
Will the Tigers move next for Sunderland's Lee Cattermole? City have previously been cool on speculation linking them with the £2m-rated midfielder, but today's Mirror claims Bruce - seemingly linked with anyone and everyone who has played for Sunderland over the past five years - will fight it out with Fulham for his signature. The former Black Cats skipper is surplus to requirements at the Stadium of Light, along with Phil Bardsley.
Newcastle are in pole position to sign Aston Villa's Darren Bent for a cut-price £5m, but City retain an interest along with Fulham (again!), according to The Sun.
Villa are ready to let Bent, 29, go cheap because they are desperate to see the back of his £65,000-a-week wages.
Now City have bagged Austin, it looks incredibly unlikely they will move for Peter Odemwingie. Crystal Palace look favourites to sign the West Brom outcast, if The Mirror is to be believed.
A number of City fans have suggested Bruce should move for Norwich striker Grant Holt, but it now looks like Holt will start next season at Wigan. A fee has been agreed, subject to a medical today.
The Tigers have made no formal move for highly rated South African international Katlego Mphela. The 28-year-old striker has scored 46 goals in 110 appearances for Mamelodi Sundowns of Pretoria. Crazy Twitter talk:Steve Harper as a back-up keeper? The former Newcastle number one would have to come out of retirement to make that a possibility. He last played in May.July 8
Hull City manager Steve Bruce is reported to be closing in on two more strikers joining the Tigers' squad before the season opener away at Chelsea.
A £4.5m deal for Burnley's Charlie Austin is said to be ever closer, according to reports today.
Although Gary Hooper looks as though he will be staying at Celtic, word on the international scene is again linking the Tigers with South African striker Katlego Mphela, who has proved predatory for South Africa.
Former Hull City manager Nigel Pearson, now in charge at Leicester, has told the Leicester Mercury he has no intention of letting goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel leave – a player the Tigers were interested in.July 6
Steve Bruce is interested in a South African striker nicknamed 'The Killer', according to today's Sun.
The report suggests the Tigers boss is ready to swoop for Katlego Mphela, a 28-year-old poacher who scored 46 goals in 110 games for Mamelodi Sundowns.
The paper says Mphela earned his nickname for being deadly in front of goal and has scored 23 goals in 47 games for his country.
Meanwhile, long-time Tigers target Gary Hooper insists his focus is on helping Celtic in their Champions League campaign.
Celtic's Champions League campaign begins in Belfast on July 17 against Cliftonville and Hooper said: "I want to play in the Champions League again, get into the group stages and get that feeling again.
"I know I wasn't playing in the game against Barcelona but it was still amazing.
"We also want to retain the title as obviously the league is still our priority."
Today's Daily Mail report that Stoke City will allow midfielder Wilson Palacios to join City if the Tigers meet their £1.5m valuation.
Bruce has previously worked with Palacios at both Wigan and Birmingham.
USA striker Jozy Altidore, who has been linked with a return to the KC Stadium, looks set to sign for Premier League rivals Sunderland.
Widespread reports today say the 23-year-old will join the Black Cats on Monday from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.July 5
Could Hull City turn to Swansea's Luke Moore in their search for a quality striker?
Sky Sports claims City are among clubs alerted to the availability of the 27-year-old star after he was left out of a pre-season tour of Holland.
Moore, who scored three times in 16 appearances last season, has a year left on his contract at the Liberty Stadium.
Moore's agent Peter Morrison, told Sky Sports: "Luke is obviously disappointed not to have been included on the pre-season trip.
"We have had enquiries from a number of clubs and, if an opportunity comes up that is right for both Luke and Swansea City, then we will look at it but he is contracted until the end of the season so he will remain focused and committed to the club until he is told otherwise."
Hull City's offer for Charlie Austin has reached £4.5m - according to the Daily Mail today.
As revealed on this site, the Tigers are hoping to find a breakthrough in negotiations for top target Austin this week after leaving Burnley to mull over a final "take it or leave it" offer.
Bruce may yet make a fresh move for Celtic's Gary Hooper - if agreement cannot be reached on the Clarets striker.
But could QPR pip City and Norwich to Hooper's signature? The Daily Mail suggests Harry Redknapp will offer £4million plus add-ons for the former Scunthorpe striker - who Celtic value closer to £8m.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace after considering a deal for free agent Carlton Cole - another potential Bruce target.
Wigan are interested in Grant Holt - linked with City this week - to replace Arouna Kone, who is close to joining former Latics boss Roberto Martinez at Everton, despite late interest from Newcastle.
It's all gone quiet on the Illombe Mboyo front. Belgian sources say City and Anderlecht have shown interest in the Gent striker - but neither side has made a fresh bid for his services.
Any tentative interest City may have had in Scott Carson is definitely over after he the stopper joined Wigan from Bursaspor.Aaron Mclean is set to leave City on a free transfer, according to today's Daily Mirror. We revealed back in May that Bruce was ready to offload Mclean and Cameron Stewart this summer.
What might have been for DJ Campbell? Every Hull City fan's favourite striker has signed for Blackburn Rovers - after snubbing the Tigers during last season's promotion drive.Crazy Twitter talk: I'm guessing this City fan is not alone in expressing these sentiments: "I hate Joey Barton ... but for £3 million I wouldn't mind him at Hull."
