Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
We can finally kill off one persistent rumour today. Hull City have dropped any interest they may have had in South African striker Katlego Mphela. It appears Mphela rumours were all all one-way. City made no approach but the South African international has been offered around several English clubs - including the Tigers. So, don't expect any move for the Mamelodi Sundowns striker as Bruce continues his hunt closer to home.
Yesterday, we asked if Bruce might look at a reunion with Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner. Today, The Sun says the City boss is ready to do a deal over the Danish international's £52,000-a-week wages because he will cost £2m less than the fee agreed for Charlie Austin.
Bendtner was on loan at Juventus last season and was due to move to Eintract Frankfurt this summer - but a £3m transfer has fallen through.
Bruce knows the 25-year-old from season-long loan spells at Birmingham and Sunderland and can guarantee the perpetual bench-warmer - whose fine goal-scoring record for Denmark has not yet been replicated at domestic level - first-team football.
Brighton striker Ashley Barnes is also in the frame for a KC move, according to Sky Sports.
The 23-year-old has establised himself as one of the Championship's rising stars, with 14 goals in 2011-12 and nine last season, despite missing seven games through suspension.
Newcastle's colourful director of football Joe Kinnear is ready to wrap up a move for Darren Bent. Today's Mirror claims Aston Villa are ready to soften their hard-line stance over an £8m transfer fee.
And former target Gary Hooper now looks likely to go to either Norwich or QPR after Celtic boss Neil Lennon admitted the striker had probably played his last game at Parkhead. Quoted in the Daily Record, Lennon says: "Has he played his last game for Celtic? Never say never but it's looking more and more that way."
Away from strikers and City are hoping to tie-up a deal for former Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper. As we revealed last week, the veteran stopper is ready to extend his Premier League career for one more season.
Meanwhile, Cardiff are keen on Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback - also linked with the Tigers - according to the Daily Mail. Crazy Twitter talk: Okay, it's not a transfer rumour, but here's one leftfield explanation for the Hull City Tigers name switch speculation. Apparently, it all stems from slacker rock band Pavement owning a racehorse called Hull City Tiger. The Californian band's front man Stephen Malkmus is a self-confessed City fan.July 12
Striking options are getting a little thin on the ground now for Hull City as various targets disappear over the horizon.
But one name which could again come into the frame is Nicklas Bendtner. The Arsenal striker was finalising a move to Eintracht Frankfurt but that has now collapsed, according to various media including Sky Sports and the Daily Mail.
That means one of the Premier League's most experienced – and confident – strikers is still available and the £3million price tag may turn Steve Bruce's head. It's £1.5 million less than the fee agreed for Charlie Austin.
The problem will be Bendtner's wages – which Frankfurt couldn't meet. If Bruce thinks he can make a saving on the transfer fee that might free up some cash for wages – but for a season or two, not under a long term contract. But Bruce is an admirer of Bentdner, bringing him in for loan spells at Birmingham and Sunderland so it's one to watch.
Charlie Austin is now being trailed by Reading according to the Daily Star. And after the collapse of his move to Hull City, his price tag has dropped to £2.5million. What a difference a week makes in football.
Meanwhile, Hull City have been playing down speculation linking the Tigers with Mamelodi Sundowns striker Katlego Mphela. A club spokesman told the South African website Soccer Laduma that no formal discussion has taken place to indicate he is a target. He said: "The coach might have mentioned a while back that he likes him as a striker, but there's no sort of a deal that's been concluded. Yes, we do need a striker, so I think it's a case of jumping ahead of time on this time. It could well be the case that we are looking at him as a possible signing, but at the moment nothing is happening." Interesting.
Another one slipping off Hull's radar, Celtic's Gary Hooper, is now attracting interest from Harry Redknapp at QPR according to the Scotsman in Edinburgh and the Sun. Bruce said he had given up interest after Celtic insisted ion holding out for around £7million. Now Harry has admitted he likes the look of Hooper and is "leaving the res to our chief executive". The Daily Mail also reports the link, suggesting that QPR may be offering £5million.
And the Daily Mail reports Carlton Cole is now in talks with Turkish outfit Kasimpasa, as reported here yesterday, with City, Crystal Palace and QPR's interest all waning.
One formerly linked with City who looks almost certain to find a different club is Spurs midfielder Tom Huddleston. The Times reports that the midfielder is in talks with Sunderland after Spurs accepted a £5million offer.
One who's link to City is building is keeper Steve Harper. After our man Phil Buckingham broke the story of the former Newcastle man being approached by City, the Daily Star also reports the Tigers' interest.
No Crazy Twitter talk today - you're all tweeting about Hull City Tigers (!) but how about we leave you with an indication of what happens when you stay up in the Premier League...Swansea sign striker and former Liverpool target Wilfried Bony for £12 million and Southampton sign Celtic's midfield star Victor Wanyama for £12.5million.
Both deals are around the same as Steve Bruce's total transfer pot for his first summer signings. July 11
It's as lively as a springbok this one. Hull City are still on the trail of highly-rated striker according to reports in South Africa that just refuse to go away.
Mphela, nicknamed "killer" because of his strike rate, has been linked to City and now his club have said they are waiting for contact from Hull.
In a statement on Sowetan Live the Mamelodi Sundowns said: "We know the stories about Mphela, which first emanated from England, are spreading like wildfire and we are awaiting developments. We know that Katlego is keen to resume his career overseas... and we will not stand in his way. The ball is now in Hull's court."
Mphela has 23 goals in 47 international appearances for the South Africa national team but injuries and "wavering form" resulted in Mphela scoring only three goals for Sundowns during a turbulent 2012-13 season, says Sowetan Live.
But if the ball's in City's court over Mphela, it looks as if it's bouncing out of the park with another striking target. Former West Ham striker Carlton Cole is about to enter talks with a second Turkish club, Kasimpasa in Instanbul. According to Turkish media reports Cole had already held talks wityh Karabükspor but they couldn't agree personal terms. Ambitious Kasimpasa are now favourites to sign the player who was aparently interesting Steve Bruce.
From Istanbul to Stoke and it looks like old 'Arry Redknapp could be trying to scupper a move by Hull City for Wilson Palacios. The Stoke Sentinal reports that the QPR manager is offering Stoke his midfielder Samba Diakite in a swap deal for Palacios who he managed at Spurs - and ironically sold to Stoke for £6million. Steve Bruce's offer is to take Palacios to City and cut £1.3million a year off Stoke's wage bill. Rednapp's offer may seem better, but then Diakite, a Mali international, has hardly featured for QPR since Rednkapp took the reigns at QPR.
And just to add to the intrigue - there's always intrigue where Harry's involved - SkySports were reporting Hull City are back in for QPR midfielder Jermaine Jenas as well as Sunderland's Jack Colback both names already mentioned on this site.
Or course everyone and their dog is now reporting that City's interest in Gary Hooper is now over after Celtic's refusal to budge on their hefty valuation of the player.
And crazy Twitter talk? Former Liverpool and current Fenerbahce striker Dirk Kuyt. Did you know if Dirk hadn't have been a footballer he would have been a fisherman? Neither did we.July 10
Those Conor Sammon rumours will just not go away: national newspapers continue to link Hull City with a possible £2m for the Derby County striker.
That's news to County, who have told the Derby Telegraph they have heard nothing from City.
Tigers fans are, on the whole, underwhelmed by speculation around the 26-year-old Irish international, who hit eight goals for the Rams last term. Niall McGlone echoes many in his tweet, "This Connor Sammon rumour is a joke, right?"
The Sun, picking up on Bruce's press conference yesterday lunchtime, says City want two strikers - and names Carlton Cole as the second. The 29-year-old former West Ham man is talking to Besiktas and has also been linked with a move to LA Galaxy. This morning's Daily Mail also joins in the Cole speculationCharlie Austin must have thought his world had fallen apart when his City move collapsed after a medical revealed a previously undetected knee problem showed up in scans. But today's Lancashire Telegraph says Burnley are likely to offer him a new deal.
Clarets boss Sean Dyche says: "Obviously it's a strange situation for the lad, wanting to get a chance to play in the Premier League – at the moment that one's not going to go through, but he's always made it clear how much he enjoys his time here with us, so we carry on as normal."
Hull City links with South African international Katlego Mphela have been dismissed as speculation by his manager at Mamelodi Sundowns.
But boss Pitso Mosimane told African football sources that Mphela was ready for a move to Europe.
"We haven't yet heard from Hull City. All of it is just rumours to us, but I believe it is his time," said Mosimane.
"If the offer does come, we won't stand in his way because the guy deserves a break.Jozy Altidore - who has returned to the Premier League with Sunderland - has thanked Hull City for developing his career.
The 23-year-old said: "I think it was really important for me.
"I had no experience of European football anywhere, so going to Hull was good for me to get my feet wet and start playing.
"I learned a lot about myself and I look back on it as an experience which helped to shape me into the player I am today."
Just a shame the Tigers couldn't bring him back for a second spell.
Talking of Sunderland, could midfielder Jack Colback be on his way to the KC? The Sun claims Paulo Di Canio is furious with the homegrown 23-year-old for turning down a new contract - leaving Bruce to consider a cut-price raid. Yes, okay, we know Bruce has been linked with every player who has pulled on the red and white stripes since the last war, but a £1m bid for Colback would be a great bid of business, wouldn't it?July 9
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?
