Hull City attempt to allay fans' fears after joining Sheffield Wednesday in transfer embargo amid troubled times for Yorkshire duo

The punishment, as it stands, means that the Tigers will be unable to pay fees to recruit players until the winter window in January 2027.

Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday are also subject to that particular sanction.

Hull's discrepancy surrounds late payments to clubs and in particular a £1m loan fee due to Aston Villa following Louie Barry's loan move from the Premier League club in January.

Reports suggest that Hull have already paid an initial instalment of the Barry payment and remain optimistic of settling the remaining balance in a specific time-frame - having appealed against the sanction.

A club statement read: "We can confirm that we have received notification from the EFL that we are subject to a transfer embargo and a three-window fee restriction with immediate effect.

"We will appeal the three-window fee restriction and are confident of resolving the matter as soon as possible."

Speaking in late spring, Tigers owner Acun Ilicali acknowledged that the extent of the club's spending would have to be scaled back and admitted that he was looking for minority investors to share the burden.

The Turkish media mogul has poured money in since buying Hull in January 2022, with debts rising to £66m in the club's last set of accounts.

The club, who have allowed left-back Matty Jacob to join Reading on a season-long loan, confirmed minor delays to wage payments ahead of their crunch survival game at Portsmouth on May 3.

Despite the club's confidence in resolving this latest issue, the fresh embargo development represents a worrying one for their fanbase, with the Hull City Supporters Trust expressing their deep concern in a statement.

It stated: "The reported financial issues, including alleged non-payments to other clubs and local suppliers, raise serious questions about the club’s financial management under owner Acun Ilicali.

"While we acknowledge Mr Ilicali’s significant investment since his 2022 takeover, the reported cash-flow problems and potential for further sanctions, such as a three-window transfer restriction, are alarming.

"We urge the club’s leadership to provide transparency and clarity to supporters regarding the financial situation and the steps being taken to resolve these issues."

The problems at Hull still appear more straightforward to overcome than the stricken situation at crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, who are subject to three separate embargoes by the league's governing body.

It has raised the spectre of a points deduction before a ball is kicked in 2025-26.

With six Owls players having handed in their notices over back-to-back months of late wage payments - and more now reportedly taking advice regarding doing the same - it remains to be seen how many will actually return when the club's pre-season begins in earnest next week, not to mention the Owls' coaching staff.

The departure of head coach Danny Rohl appears to be edging closer, with exit talks said to be approaching a significant stage.

Meanwhile, goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo's expected move to Glasgow Rangers has been confirmed.