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Hull City may have surprised many with the news that former Olympiakos boss Marco Silva has been appointed as their new Manager until the end of the season. The 39 year old Portuguese replaces Mike Phelan as the man who will now look to keep The Tigers in the top flight.
Phelan was unfortunate enough not to be given the Janaury transfer window in which to get in some new faces to help the club’s bid for survival but that is a luxury that will be afforded to Silva. With Hull having issues at both ends of the pitch then it’s quite obvious as to the kind of players that will be topping their shopping list.
Hull have now got their third manager in the space of six months, a spate of employment that does not necessarily lend itself to consistency or cohesion but if the club are to have any chance of staying up then they will need to add to their squad this month.
Now let’s look at three players who could be making their way to The KCom Stadium this month
Alexandru Maxim
Marco Silva’s first bit of business since taking charge of the club could very well be that of Romanian Alexandru Maxim. The 26 year old currently plies his trade in the German Second Division with Stuttgart and is being eyed by a number of clubs this month.
After starting his career in Spain with Espanyol before working his way back to his Romanian homeland, Maxim is currently in his 5th season with Stuttgart but with potential Premier League interest in the offings it looks like his time in Germany could be coming to an end.
Maxim a Romanian international is usually deployed as an attacking midfield playmaker but can also be utilised as a winger. With Hull light on attacking options his versatility would give them a boost in that department especially if Robert Snodgrass was to leave the club during this transfer window.
Tyrone Mings
It’s been well publicised the fact that Hull’s defence has been particularly leaky in the first half of the season, an issue that will have to be resolved if they are to having a fighting chance of staying up. Someone who may well be able to come to the aid of the club is that of Tyrone Mings.
Mings career thus far has been plagued by a number of injuries and his time at Bournemouth has not been all that memorable. After suffering a serious knee injury in 2015, Mings was then ruled out for over a year and has failed to feature in Eddie Howe’s plans since.
With Mings costing The Cherries £8m back in 2015 they certainly won’t be ready to let the former Ipswich Defender depart for nothing but they will also fail to recoup their full investment on the 23 year old. Should Hull come in with a bid of around £4m then a move to Hull then becomes a realistic possibility.
Oumar Niasse
For all their problems at the back they have just as money up front. Hull are the lowest scorers in the Premier League so far his season and their shyness in front of goal has been a major factor in their struggling situation in the first half of the campaign.
Someone who may well be able to remedy that situation is that of Oumar Niasse. Niasse is almost the forgotten man at Goodison Park after arriving at the club this time last year. Signed for £13.5m by previous Everton boss Roberto Martinez the Senegalese forward has been frozen out by current manager Ronald Koeman.
Hull would prefer to capture the services of Niasse on a loan deal until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move should the club beat the drop come May. The only sticking point is that The Toffees will probably want to recoup a large portion of that transfer fee and with the fact that he is yet to score in the Premier League that represents somewhat of a gamble. In fairness it’s a gamble that Hull may well have to take.
