Our daily blog of transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
Nothing like another striker to kick-off Saturday's transfer rumours. Zambia striker Jacob Mulenga, currently playing for Dutch outfit FC Utrecht, is today being linked with the Tigers.
And if Mulenga is interesting Steve Bruce as reported in the Zambian Daily Mail - yup there's one in Zambia too but probably not with Kim Kardashian in it - the striker did himself a favour on Thursday night by scoring with a header just two minutes into Utrecht's Europa League qualifier against Differdange from Luxembourg.
He almost hit a second a few minutes later but had a shot saved.
The Mail says Mulenga has been given permission to speak to no less than five English clubs, City leading the list which includes Championship teams QPR, Wigan, Nottingham Forest and Blackpool.
Meanwhile, the Daily Star is reporting Steve Bruce wants his old Manchester United pal Mark Hughes to do him a favour by letting him have either Kenwyne Jones or Peter Crouch to partner new City loan signing Danny Graham up front.
The Star says Bruce hopes to persuade new Stoke City boss Sparky to accept a £3.5m offer for Jones, 28, who is also wanted by West Brom, or 32-year-old Crouch.July 18
Here's a new name in the frame for Hull City. Russian striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is said to be keen to stay in the Premier League after his club Reading were relegated. Pogrebnyak was deemed a flop after moving from Fulham to the Royals and scoring just five goals last season.
But the striker showed some class earlier last year in a six-month stay with Fulham, scoring six in 12 before leaving when talks on a new contract collapsed.
According the the Mirror Hull City are interested along with Fulham and Cardiff. The stumbling block for any City interest will be wages: the Russian, who has 33 caps, is said to be on more than £50,000 a week - one of the reasons Reading are so keen to off-load him.
The Express says West Brom have turned down a bid for Peter Odemwingie, a player repeatedly linked to City, from Al Nasr. The Dubai club offered £850,000 but West Brom are said to be holding out for £2m. It's almost certain the Nigerian, currently training with the reserves, will leave Birmingham this summer.
Speaking of exits, Hull City winger Cameron Stewart is being targeted by three Championship clubs, according to reports. Tigers manager Steve Bruce has previously made it clear that the 22-year-old is free to leave the KC. According to Sky Sports and the Daily Mail, Blackpool, Charlton Athletic and Ipswich Town have all approached City regarding a potential deal.
Meanwhile the Sunderland Echo says the loan of Danny Graham to Hull City is a done deal with the striker having signed subject to a medical. An announcement is said to be imminent. Keep an eye on this website for the news as soon as it the deal is confirmed.(4.30pm update: Graham transfer from Sunderland to Hull City confirmed.)
Yesterday's Crazy Twitter Talk has taken another twist. Stoke striker Kenwyne Jones, very loosely and probably inaccurately linked with City, is closer to an exit from the Potters. The Mirror says Stoke's new boss Mark Hughes wants to spend £8m on Hannover striker Mame Biram Diouf, leaving the future of Jones and Peter Crouch uncertain.
So today's Crazy Twitter Talk ... well how about Peter Crouch? SkyBet have made the big man Hull City's third favourite player to be signed on the basis of, er, very little as far as we can see.July 18
As Hull City close on Danny Graham, who is now discussing personal terms with the club, some interesting stats have emerged about how the Sunderland striker compares against two other targets City have been linked with.
The football stats compiler EPL Index compared Graham, West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie and "wildcard" Yannick Sagbo of French Ligue 1 outfit Evian.
Sagbo's stats are six goals last season, five from inside the box. He's described as quick-paced and comfortable on one-on-ones. He also chipped in with five assists. Most of his goals in the last two seasons have also come in the first half. The 25-year-old is said to be available for £3.5m.
Odemwingie, who has just turned 32, is described as the "safe and experienced option". He is equally comfortable on either foot and described as a natural poacher with a clear-cut conversion rate of up to 75 per cent over the last three seasons.
Meanwhile, Graham, 28 next month, is described as having similar attributes to Odemwingie but with a slightly poorer conversion rate and slower goal or assist rate (203 minutes to the Nigerian's 190 minutes). Graham scored three goals in 31 appearances last season while Odemwingie managed five in 25.
So they reckon all three have good potential, despite far from glittering shows lasts season. Graham would be "a solid signing", Sagbo a "tactical" choice because of his early goals and Odemwingie as "best value" and the report's best tip.
You can read the report here.
Bruce would face competition if he decided to take an interest in Odemwingie, as Fulham are said by the Daily Express to be nearing a deal.
Hull City shouldn't need a stats calculator to work out if South African Daylon Claasen is worth signing - if he continues to impress on his extended trial with the Tigers.
The 23-year-old midfielder is still in search of a new club after terminating his contract with the Belgian side Lierse SK and has caught Bruce's attention at their pre-season camp in Portugal.
But South African media reports that it is not known whether Claasen will be able to meet the minimum requirements to earn a working visa to play in England. Usually, players must have made 75 per cent of international appearances, if they are available, over the previous two years.
If he doesn't sign for City, we're sure Harry Redknapp will have a look at him as he seems to be following every step Steve Bruce makes. It seems 'Arry is about to snap up two of Bruce's previous targets and will team Charlie Austin - available for a cut-price £1.75m plus extras - with Celtic's Gary Hooper who will cost £5.5m. One interesting note: The Mirror suggests Hooper is expecting £40,000 a week, perhaps an indication of why Bruce bailed out of a deal.
At least one of City's stay-at-home players is likely to make a move fairly quickly, according to the Daily Star. It says Aaron McLean is being pursued by Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton and Millwall. McLean was left out of the Portugal trip along with winger Cameron Stewart with both being advised to find new clubs.
Looks like any interest City had in Liverpool's former Barcelona youth player Dani Pacheco, will be short-lived. The Daily Mail reports the forward will be going to Celta Vigo after spending six years at Anfield without breaking into the first-team. "He's done more loans than Wonga," says one Liverpool joker.Crazy Twitter talk? How about Kenwyne Jones - a record £8m signing for Stoke and a favourite of ex-manager Tony Pulis but dropped at the end of the season after a dressing room bust-up with a team-mate, and linked with a move as soon as Mark Hughes became the new boss?July 17Danny Graham's move to Hull City is set to be confirmed after the striker returned from Sunderland's pre-season tour of Italy - according to Sky Sports sources.
The £5m-rated frontman is expected to join City on a season-long loan deal and may link up with the Tigers at their training camp in Portugal.Steve Bruce has admitted his interest in signing Graham, who has failed to score in 13 appearances since moving from Swansea to the Stadium of Light.
Bruce told the Mail: "(Graham) is someone where there's been a bit of interest.
"He hasn't had the best of times in the north-east but he's a very, very good player. Whether it's possible, who knows? It's something that we're looking at."
Sky Sports has pictured Graham arriving at the KC Stadium today.The Sun has more on those links with Yannick Sagbo. It says the Evian striker will cost just £750,000 and is keen on a move to England - but City will face competition from Crystal Palace for his services.TalkSport adds another name from the French league - Lyon striker Jimmy Briand. The 27-year-old has won five caps and is in the final year of his contract.
And City are also being linked with Liverpool's former Barcelona youth player Dani Pacheco, according to the Spanish media. Malaga and Celta Vigo are also said to be interested in the young Spanish forward, 22, who has spent six years at Anfield without breaking into the first team, and has missed out on the squad's pre-season tour starting in Indonesia.
City MD Nick Thompson has admitted the Tigers appear to have been priced out of a move for Celtic's Gary Hooper after a failed bid earlier this summer.
He says: "We've reached a position with Celtic, Gary and his agent whereby it was not something we want to pursue.
"It's important to get the right wage levels for the club."
Hooper now looks set to move to QPR or Norwich - with West Ham also showing interest, according to today's Mirror.
Speaking on Radio Humberside, Thompson said City had been approached over Jermaine Jenas but his wage demands were "outside" what they were willing to pay.
The club faces a similar issue over wages for Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner but Thompson did not rule out a move.
Bruce remains keen on Wilson Palacios but there has been no approach for QPR's Adel Taarabt.
Thompson, meanwhile, has moved to dampen speculation about Hull City being rebranded as Hull City Tigers.
If you haven't seen our exclusive today about South African trialist Daylon Claasen, you can read it here. Midfielder Claasen, 23, was the mystery man who turned out for City against Winterton on Monday evening, when, playing as "James Armstrong", he scored one and set up another. The Tigers are giving him an extended trial.Jack Hobbs' move to Nottingham Forest has been confirmed, to the delight of Reds boss Billy Davies, who describes him here as one of the brightest prospects outside the Premier League.
A City loan move for Adel Taarabt looks unlikely. Harry Redknapp has told Sky Sports: "There's talk about (Taarabt) going to Hull on loan. What's the good in that? If he wants to go, let somebody come and pay money for him."
Elsewhere, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew hopes to tie-up a deal for Aston Villa's Darren Bent by the weekend, says the Daily Mail.Crazy Twitter talk: Remember Kamil Zayatte? Of course you do. The Guinean international made more than 50 appearances for the Tigers between 2009 and 2011. Now, he is apparently on trial with Sheffield Wednesday in Portugal - which means he could face City in a friendly on Saturday!
