Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
Just 24 hours ago, it looked as if Hull City would confirm the signing of Charlie Austin and then turn their primary attention to loan targets and free transfers.
Now, after the 11th-hour collapse of the Austin deal, Steve Bruce must go back to the drawing board in his hunt for a striker of Premier League quality.
So, will the Tigers boss turn back to Celtic's Gary Hooper?
Scotland's Daily Record reports today that the Parkhead side are set to snub two £4m bids for Hooper from Queen's Park Rangers and Norwich City.
The official offers were put forward yesterday, but Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell wants more money and expects both sides to return with improved bids. Former Scunthorpe star Hooper is reportedly keen on a move to the Canaries.Darren Bent, meanwhile, looks closer to a move from Aston Villa to Newcastle, after Toon manager Alan Pardew confirmed his interest in the Northern Echo.
Sky Sports says Bruce is stepping up his interest in free agent Carlton Cole. The former West Ham striker, 29, is also attracting interest from Besiktas of Turkey.
Two new names have surfaced from the rumour mill today. The Daily Mail claims Bruce is launching a bid to sign Marseille midfielder Morgan Amalfitano on loan.
Amalfitano, 28, who can play across the midfield, has been in and out of the Marseille side, during which time he has picked up Champions League experience and a single cap for the French national side.
The second name comes via the Daily Star, which links former Norwich goalkeeper Lee Camp with a possible move to the KC. The Northern Ireland international is available on a free and would provide back-up for Allan McGregor.
Could QPR scupper City's negotiations for Wilson Palacios? As we report the morning, the Tigers are hoping to persuade Stoke City to allow the Honduran midfielder - a misfit at the Britannia - to leave on a free. However, today's Express claims Harry Redknapp will offer Samba Diakite in a swap deal for Palacios.Crazy Twitter talk: Derby County's Irish striker Connor Sammon is, for some odd reason, being linked to City. Bought by the Rams for £1.2m in 2012, he managed eight goals last season and was apparently the Championship's 61st best player. Who are we to argue?July 8
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 7
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.
