Acun Ilicali says Hull City will not block Jacob Greaves move if defender wants to go

Profit and sustainability rules are becoming an ever-more important factor in English football and Hull's heavy spending since chairman Ilicali bought the club in January 2022 are restricting what they can pay in the upcoming transfer window.

Ilicali says he is unable to invest more than £15m in upgrading a squad which narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season and adapt it to a more radical style of play under new coach Tim Walter.

A possible solution is to sell players and although Ilicali says it is not something he wants to do, nor is he prepared to keep a player who does not want to stay.

Where highly-rated centre-back Greaves falls in that remains to be seen. Born in Hull to the son of former player Mark, he has strong bonds to the Tigers but ambitions to progress too.

“Greaves wants to play in the Premier League and he's such a nice boy,” said Ilicali.

“I love him as a character, he's a real captain and I told him, 'Greaves we need you, you are so good, please stay with us.'

“But if his brain and soul is completely with another club, we will not stop him.”

Greaves, pictured, is not the only player rivals could look at when the window officially opens a week on Friday.

“They can only let me spend £14m, £15m from my pocket so I'm spending it to the limit,” said Ilicali

“There are some assets at our club – Abdulkadir Omur is a big talent who is our asset now, Jaden Philogene at the moment, Ozan Tufan.

“If you ask me do we have the room to buy big transfers, we don't. If one of our players goes we will immediately make another signing, of course, but I don't want them to go because I love all of my players.

“Serious offers will come in the next two or three weeks, I think, because this is what I am getting from Tan (Kesler, his vice-chairman) all the time.

“I will never sell them unless they come and say they want to go. I advised (Keane Lewis) Potter not to go (to Brentford two years ago). If he had stayed for a year it would have been good for him and us.

“But if they feel they are going to play and be successful, for me their future is always important.”

Whatever happens, the chairman is confident Hull will not be weaker for it. “We will buy some players for sure and with five loans I think the level will be approximately the same as last season.”

The work Walter is talking about doing to the squad will require a lot of training but both he and his chairman are refusing to rush into transfers.

“It's important to get players in early but you can miss good opportunities,” said Ilicali.

“The big clubs decide about some loans after their pre-season camps so we have to wait to get the best.

"This is a difficulty not just for us, for many clubs.”