Hull City transfer news: Blank canvas, funds and lots of work for Tim Walter to do as winger's departure confirmed

Even though Philogene’s time at Hull was brief, arriving from Villa Park less than a year ago, still his departure has felt protracted, official confirmation coming a week after he left the Tigers’ Turkish training camp to complete it.

The side Hull put out in Thursday’s 5-1 friendly defeat in Fenerbahce far more than the result shows the scale of work ahead of their recruitment team ahead of the start of the new Championship season on August 10.

Against opponents who will be playing in a Champions League qualifier on Tuesday, the starting XI included Sean McLoughlin, Xavi Simons and Ryan Longman, fringe players last season, with the latter pair loaned out. Ivor Pandur is yet to make his competitive debut but is expected to be promoted to first-choice goalkeeper. Of the six substitutes used, none had made 50 Football League appearances. Left-back Ryan Giles was in Philogene’s old position as a winger.

Making Giles’ loan from Luton Town permanent is the only signing Hull have made thus far this summer as the financial reality of missing out on promotion after last season’s heavy investment kicks in.

Jacob Greaves (Ipswich Town), Ozan Tufan (Trabzonspor) and Ryan Allsop (Birmingham City) have also been sold and Billy Sharp (now at Doncaster Rovers), Adama Traore (Amed), Ryan Woods (Exeter City), Greg Docherty (Charlton Athletic), Aaron Connolly and Cyrus Christie released. Loanees Fabio Carvalho, Anass Zaroury, Tyler Morton, Liam Delap (since sold to Ipswich) and Noah Ohio have returned to their parent clubs.

It leaves a squad light on numbers, never mind quality – or to put a more positive spin on it, a fairly blank canvas and finances as new coach Tim Walter looks to remodel the side along more attacking lines.

Hull had hoped to sign Kieffer Moore before the Wales international joined Sheffield United instead, but vice-chairman Tan Kesler revealed this week they are in talks with “a very high-profile” alternative striker, and they have recalled Oscar Estupinan from a loan in Brazil.

They are hopeful of signing an unnamed right-back and are haggling over Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and West Bromwich Albion midfielder Okay Yoksulu.

Villa, by contrast, have been very active in this summer’s transfer market as they prepare for Champions League football and used a "matching" clause to outmanoeuvre Ipswich and buy back the winger after an impressive season in the Championship.

The £5m deal which took Philogene to Hull included an agreement that allowed them to match the fee any rival offered for the player. With a sell-on fee as well, it meant they were able to buy the 22-year-old at a significant discount – £13m instead of the £18m the Tractor Boys were prepared to pay.