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Video: Hull City set to hold Zamora talks
HULL CITY manager Phil Brown will open talks with Bobby Zamora today after issuing a hands-off message to clubs interested in Michael Turner and Sam Ricketts. The Tigers are hoping to seal a joint club record £5m deal to bring the Fulham striker to the KC Stadium.
Zamora was away on tour with the Cottagers in Australia when a fee was agreed between the two clubs and today is the first chance Brown has had to speak to the man he hopes will spearhead the Hull attack next season.
Hull, who last night rebuffed speculation that chairman Paul Duffen had applied for the vacant chief executive role at Liverpool, are hoping the capture of Zamora will signal a change in fortune in the transfer market after missing out on several targets.
Brown said: "I am speaking to Bobby Zamora (today) when I plan to show him around what could be his new home. We will also talk personal terms.
"It has not been possible to see him until now. Premier League clubs are all over the world right now on tour and Bobby has been in Australia. He got back on Friday afternoon and spent the weekend recovering."
Brown is keen to bolster his attacking options and believes Zamora is the man to improve a side who struggled to find the net in the final few months of 2008-09.
Liverpool's Andriy Voronin has also been linked with a possible loan move, though Brown yesterday denied having made an approach to the Anfield club before admitting he does rate the Ukrainian international.
The Tigers manager said: "We have not made any contact with regards him (Voronin). But he is someone we would be interested in."
On the club's search for new talent ahead of the new season kicking off at Chelsea on August 15, Brown added: "We are in pursuit of certain targets at the moment and, hopefully, we will be successful.
"We have established a scouting network that is as far-reaching as it can be from where we were two years ago, but we still have to catch up other clubs in terms of our infrastructure.
"We are trying to be pro-active but, unfortunately, due to us being a smaller fish in a bigger ocean we are having to be reactive.
"There are still four weeks to go before the season starts and another two weeks after that before the transfer window closes. Obviously, though, we would hope to have the players in before the start of the season.
"I can assure everyone we are working tirelessly to get the quality players through the door."
Along with the search for new players, Brown has also been focused on keeping his better players at the KC Stadium amid interest from rival clubs.
Turner's outstanding debut year in the Premier League is believed to have alerted several top-flight managers to his ability, while Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth have been tracking full-back Ricketts.
When asked if he wanted to keep hold of the pair, Brown said: "There have been no bids for Sam Ricketts, though two Premier League clubs are interested. I will not name those clubs.
"Sam has come back in good form and is working hard. I would prefer him to remain a Hull City player, as I would Michael Turner."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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