Hull City v Manchester United: Marco Silva wants five new signings as Tigers look to cash in on £10m Snodgrass exit

The Tigers are understood to have accepted a £10m bid from both Burnley and Middlesbrough for their top scorer but this is unlikely to be the end of a saga that began a month or so before the transfer window opened at the start of this month.

West Ham United are expected to return with their own fresh offer apiece after having previous bids rejected by Hull, who yesterday received international clearance for Liverpool loanee Lazar Markovic to face Manchester United in tonight’s League Cup semi-final second leg.

Oumar Niasse, Omar Elabdellaoui and Evandro are also eligible but the big talking point among supporters during the build-up to taking on Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils has been the likely departure of Snodgrass.

His sale will displease fans already angry at how City are being run but Silva hopes to use the proceeds from the £10m sale of Livermore to West Brom and whatever fee the club receives for Snodgrass to continue his overhaul of the squad. Sources within the club have indicated Silva wants four or maybe even five new signings before next Tuesday’s 11pm deadline.

Leon Bailey, Genk’s highly-rated wideman, is one of those wanted by the Portuguese but he faces competition from a host of clubs for a 19-year-old dubbed a “wonderkid” for his performances in Belgium this season. “He will not be an easy player to get,” said the Tigers head coach. “But we will try.”

The fractured skull suffered by record signing Ryan Mason in last weekend’s defeat at Chelsea has added to the urgency of needing to bring in additions

“Ryan is an extremely important player for me and we need to do some work in the transfer window,” added Silva, who plans to visit Mason in hospital this Saturday ahead of the following day’s FA Cup fourth-round visit to Fulham.

“With Jake Livermore leaving, we are a little bit light in midfield and it is clear we have to try and get players in that position.”

As pressing as the need to strengthen is for Silva, tonight his focus will be on the task of overhauling a two-goal first leg deficit to reach Wembley.

He is the first to admit the task is not an easy one with only Aston Villa having pulled off such a feat to book a trip to the final, Tranmere Rovers the unfortunate victim in 1994 as the Midlands giants went through on penalties.

The Tigers chief said: “Manchester United are a very good team. They also have a fantastic coach. But we will continue to fight for our dream of reaching the final. That would be amazing.

“We had a lot of injuries (before the first leg) but we started to improve our squad after that game. For me, (getting to) Wembley would be special.”

Mourinho, meanwhile, has praised Silva for the signings that Hull have made during his first three weeks at the helm of the Yorkshire club.

“Marco has a difficult job,” said the Old Trafford chief. “It is a big fight with six or seven teams for relegation. But Hull have sold, they have bought and they have got players on loan.

“They have got players that Marco knows well, that he knows from Portugal and Greece. They are already connected with the manager’s ideas. I think he is clever.”

As for taking on the Tigers at the KCOM, Mourinho added: “Hull have played at home and done very well. I think they are in a good situation.”

Last six games: Hull City DLWLWL, Manchester United WWWWDD.

Referee: J Moss (West Yorkshire).

Last time: Hull City 0 Manchester United 1; August 27, 2016; Premier League.