Daily transfer rumours from the press as Hull City prepare for life in the Premier League.
Hull City look set to announce the signing of Tom Huddlestone from Tottenham.
"Sources" told Sky Sports this afternoon that the deal has been completed.Update, 3.30pm:City set to announce double signing.
This morning, it appeared Sunderland were not yet ready to give up on signing Huddlestone, according to the media in the north-east.
As reported by the Mail last night, Hull City launched an ambitious club record bid to sign the midfielder - in a package that would also include a loan deal for his Spurs teammate Jake Livermore.
City were in advanced negotiations for the pair last night, with the board backing Steve Bruce.
Sky Sports reported this afternoon that both moves could go through in the next 24 hours, with the players undergoing medicals and discussing personal terms.
However, Premier League rivals Sunderland were still keen on taking long-time target Huddlestone to the Stadium of Light.
The Sunderland Echo says both clubs expressed an interest in Huddlestone early in the close-season, "but there was little in the way of developments until a dramatic day yesterday when it emerged Hull had made a breakthrough".
Sunderland, led by Director of Football Roberto De Fanti, have played a waiting game with Spurs - a club notorious for playing hardball over transfers.
But with City forcing the issue, Black Cats boss Paulo Di Canio was said to be pushing his board to make their move.
Di Canio was quoted as saying: "I hope it can be done. I know they are working on it."The Daily Mail claims a fee of £5.25m was agreed between City and Spurs for the 26-year-old former England international. However, Di Canio has made a big play of putting an Englishman at the heart of his midfield.
Huddlestone has played almost 200 senior games for Spurs since his switch from Derby County eight years ago. However, he spent much of 2012-13 on the bench and, when selected towards the end of the season in the absence of Scott Parker, struggled to impress.
Now, with competition for places in André Villas-Boas' midfield stronger than ever, after the club's £17m signing of Paulinho, along with Nacer Chadli, a move away from White Hart Lane makes sense for Huddlestone, who will prove a great signing for Bruce if he can recreate the form that once made him feared for his defence-splitting passes and long-range strikes.
Livermore is also at something of a crossroads. He impressed in a handful of top-flight games last season but has played just 38 times for Spurs since 2008 and has had seven previous loan moves. The prospect of first-team football and a chance to prove himself in the Premier League may be enough to persuade the 23-year-old to spend a season at the KC.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' interest in Evian anchorman Mohammed Rabiu appears to be cooling after Bruce watched him play in a 1-1 draw with Sochaux on Saturday. Despite Evian manager Pascal Dupraz speaking glowingly of his "sensational" midfielder, it seems Bruce remains to be convinced and may leave him on the shelf along with Eric Tie Bi.Crazy Twitter talk: Got £5m to spend on Huddlestone? Why not splash out on teammate Scott Parker instead? More than one Tigers fan has asked Bruce if he fancies hijacking 'Arry's move for the former West Ham man - but it looks like that one's a done deal. And finally ...TalkSport pundit Stan Collymore is backing City to stay up. He reckons Cardiff, Crystal Palace and Stoke are favourites to be relegated.August 13
Hull City boss Steve Bruce has poured scorn on reports he is trying to sign Wolves striker Kevin Doyle.The Mirror and Daily Mail have both claimed the Tigers were closing in on a deal for the Irish international, who would cost between £2m and £3m.
But Bruce told TalkSport this morning he was not interested in signing another striker.
"I don't really know where that has come from. I have been linked with about 150 players and we have taken in four.
"We have brought in Danny Graham and big Yannick Sagbo ... so in that department we are OK at the moment."
Bruce's denial comes after Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni urged Doyle to leave Wolves to save his international career.
The 29-year-old finds himself playing in League One following successive relegations for Wolves.
For their part, Wanderers are keen to sell their prized asset as they try to reduce their wage bill.
When asked if a move before the end of the transfer window would be good for the former £6.5m Reading man, Trapattoni added: "It would be better as he can try and regain confidence.
"Kevin is an intelligent player. I think it is important for him to get another opportunity, whether the money is 20 per cent more or 20 per cent less. It's
important to go to a club to play. It depends on his agent."
Today's statement from Bruce, however, reaffirms his focus is on strengthening in midfield.The Daily Star picks up on our story yesterday about Evian's Mohammed Rabiu and says Real Betis will offer competition for the £2m-rated anchorman. A Russian club - rumoured to be FC Krasnodar - are also said to be interested.
Evian manager Pascal Dupraz reportedly says he "will cry" if the "sensational" midfielder moves to City.
He is quoted as saying: "Mohammed Rabiu is a sensational player, who deos a lot of important things for the club in the midfield. If he goes I will cry.
"But I would also be happy because it will show that he has made great strides."
Meanwhile, German sources claim Hamburg's defensive midfielder Tomas Rincon is "open" to a possible move to City.
The Venezuelan international, 25, is surplus to requirements at Hamburg and has been linked with a switch to the KC.
"I am with Hamburg and I will keep cool on this (link)," he told Hamburger Morgenpost when asked about the Tigers. "For me, it's important to get regular first-team action."
Hamburg coach Thorsten Fink added: "If a club comes in with an offer for him, we will definitely have to consider it."
Last week, Bruce scotched rumours he was interested in Hamburg's Paul Scharner, whom he managed at Wigan.
At 25, Rincon - who boasts 42 caps and has a year left on his contract - looks a much better bet than his teammate. Crazy Twitter talk: Photos of Steve Bruce with Sam Allardyce at a London restaurant have been doing the rounds on Twitter. So, expect plenty of links with various West Ham midfielders. Alou Diarra was linked earlier this month with a move to the KC.August 12
Wolves striker Kevin Doyle will join Hull City - if he agrees to slash his wages by half, according to today's Mirror.
The paper's "Football Spy" claims the Tigers are ready with a £3m bid for Doyle.
He has two years left on his contract, but Wolves are desperate to see the back of his £40,000 salary after successive relegations have left them struggling in League One.
Celtic - who failed in a January loan bid - are among clubs linked with the 29-year-old Irish international after Wolves put him on the transfer list when they dropped out of the Championship.
"His wages are too high for where we are. That's common knowledge," manager Kenny Jackett has told the BBC.
Doyle cost Wolves a reported club-record fee of around £6.5m in 2009.
Today's Express adds Celtic will table a £2.5m bid, but the Daily Mail claims Wolves will compromise on a fee to allow Doyle to move to the KC for just £2m.
Staying with, The Mail, and it picks up on those Jake Livermore and Tom Huddlestone rumours we discussed yesterday. It says the Tottenham duo are available to loan and buy respectively.
The Mail also gives City a "health rating" of 6/10 for Bruce's summer work so far, pointing to two defeats in eight pre-season encounters and eight signins ... although it suggests more new faces are needed.
Will one of those new arrivals be Evian's Mohammed Rabiu? The French club has become Steve Bruce's favourite calling place after he signed striker Yannick Sagbo and offered a trial to Erik Tie Bi. Now, he is talks with Rabiu, who has spent time in Italy and has eight caps for Ghana.
Real Betis - City's opponents at the KC last Saturday - have also been linked with Rabiu, a midfield enforcer described by African journalists as "affordable, but very efficient". Bruce is looking to conclude a deal within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the City boss still has some work to do if he also wants to bring in Marseilles' Morgan Amalfitano. The good news is Marseilles are happy to let him go; the bad news is Amalfitano is not sure he wants to come to East Yorkshire. Still, past experience has shown that if anyone can turn a head, Bruce can.Crazy Twitter talk: It's the rumour that just won't die - Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner to Hull City was raised again by various papers and websites over the weekend. Perhaps Niall McGlone puts its most succinctly by tweeting: "In which universe can we afford Huddlestone, Bendtner and Livermore? Lazy journalism. At least pick a random French player."
