Hull City transfer news: Tigers still working on top targets as Billy Sharp and Fabio Carvalho benefit from extra time

Billy Sharp and Fabio Carvalho arrived in the first 10 days of training and the other targets the Tigers are working on – who include Burnley winger Manuel Benson and Fortuna Sittard goalkeeper Ivan Pandur – are also from their A list, rather than fall-back options.

Sharp's early arrival after being released by LA Galaxy at the end of the Major League Soccer season in October means he is already well into the getting-to-know-you process which deadline-day signings will not start until February.

"The great thing with Billy is he's been in for nearly a month so he's acclimatising and understands the way we want to play, he understands the way we train," said Rosenior of a player who made his debut against Birmingham City in the FA Cup third round.

"He's got to know the lads really well and I understand him and Regan (Slater) are in a car pool to and from training, which is great for Regan to plug into his experience.

"That bedding-in period is really helpful. The next players we bring – because we are going to bring more players in – are going to have to fit into that for sure.

"In terms of the targets and the positions we've identified, we're still working on our number one targets. Fabio was a number one target for us and fortunately the dominoes fell at a point where we could get him in where we did.

"With the others we're working really hard to give ourselves the best chance."

Deadline day has been busy at Hull since Acun Ilicali bought the club in January 2023, but they are giving themselves the best chance of a quieter one by getting their ducks in a row early this month.

"I hope so," said Rosenior. "I'm tired already, I don't even know what day it is.

"You can sign players now but the one you really want becomes available so we just have to wait and be patient but at the same time work hard in the background to give ourselves the best chance of doing it."

Carvalho has joined on loan from Liverpool, as Tyler Morton did in August, and Liam Delap – expected to miss the next two to three months through injury – is on loan from Manchester City. Scott Twine is on loan from Burnely and Ruben Vinagre from Sporting Lisbon, although that arrangement is being reviewed.

To be borrowing players is not ideal, but to compete at the top end of the Championship, clubs need the loan market to get access to top-flight players out of their reach financially or simply not available on a permanent basis, as Sheffield United did last season when Manchester City's James McAtee and Tommy Doyle were crucial to their promotion push.

"We're not a parachute payment club with some of the money those teams have spent, we just can't compete with them," argued Rosenior.

To get the best players, clubs need to have a good image with the Premier League sides and players, and Rosenior thinks Hull are getting that.

"It's not just the football we offer," he said. "If you ask every loan player, they feel part of the club, they genuinely want the club to do well, they love the club.

"Every member of staff makes players feel like they're cared about, like they're important, they matter. There's a really nice chemistry and spirit. Whether you're a loan player or a permanent player here, it doesn't make a difference to the overall feeling we want to achieve.

"Fabio signing says it all. It's great for me, it's reassuring that people from outside the club think the work we're doing is positive."

The transfer window closes on February 1 at 11pm.