Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
So do you think Steve Bruce is a man to bear grudges? Well this one might test him. Across in Blackburn it seems striker DJ Campbell has become available, only two weeks after he was signed on a free. The People says new Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer is happy to let Campbell leave for nothing to free up his reported £1million a year wages.
We wonder if Bruce has forgiven Campbell for walking out on a deal to come to the KC last January when Blackburn gazumped their wage offer?
Meanwhile, Bowyer is also said to be lining up a £2million bid for Crewe's Max Clayton if prolific striker Jordan Rhodes, long linked to City, is poached.
Another man who caught City fans' eyes for the wrong reasons is also being linked to the Tigers. Troy Deeney, who scored a spectacular 20-yard strike when Hull City were beaten by Watford in April, is interesting Bruce according to the Sun on Sunday.
Deeney scored 20 goals last season for Watford in 43 games as well as chipping in with 10 assists.
He's not without some baggage though. In June 2012 Deeney was jailed for 10-months following a nightclub brawl in which he kicked a student in the head. He was freed after four months and says his spell in prison turned his life around.
One piece of good news for City fans is it appears the signing of Steve Harper is imminent. Reports from the North-East suggest the former Newcastle keeper will be in Hull tomorrow for a medical.
Some interesting news from Glasgow. Celtic manager Neil Lennon admits Gary Hooper may have played his last game for the Hoops after the former Scunthorpe striker failed to appear during their 3-0 defeat by Union Berlin on Friday, reports the Sunday Express. "It will be difficult to convince Gary to stay," said Lennon. The Mail on Sunday say QPR seem to be first in-line for Hooper's signature after Steve Bruce cooled his interest over Celtic's transfer demands.
Meanwhile the People say Bruce is keeping close tabs on his former club Sunderland with three players Phil Bardsley, Jack Colback and Lee Cattermole all available as Paolo Di Canio rings the changes. Di Canio would probably drive Bardsley to Hull. He left him in Sunderland to train with the kids while Sunderland headed to Italy for pre-season training.Crazy Twitter talk? If his pockets were only a little deeper, Steve Bruce might be tempted by this rumour. Spurs are willing to listen to offers for American striker Clint Dempsey apparently. But a minimum of £6million and big wages would be out of the Tigers' reach. Wouldn't they?July 13
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.
