Hull City will be promotion contenders, insists Acun Ilicali

If what is left of this season is about hoping to be part of the promotion picture, next season he expects it.

In his first press conference as chairman, the Turkish businessman said he was targeting four transfers in the final days of this month, starting with a forward in Allahyar Sayyadmanesh he compared to a young Mohamed Salah, and was adamant he will not be selling highly-rated Keane Lewis-Potter at any price.

The ambition for most Championship clubs and certainly most owners is to get into the world’s most lucrative domestic football league.

“Of course it’s a tough challenge but I like tough challenges,” said Ilicali. “There is nothing I have dreamt about and not been able to do.

“I’m not a God. It’s not good for me to say we will get to the Premier League in one or two years but I can say we will be a contender, starting next season.

“I’m very excited. You think about yourself owning a beautiful club. This club has a beautiful history and so many nice people around me.

“I just walked in Beverley and so many people said they’re expecting so many things for us.

“Of course, I’m here to achieve something that will make everyone very happy.

“First good football, then the results and I will be very happy if we reach the Premier League. I’m here for that.”

As he spoke, Fenerbahce’s Sayyadmanesh was undergoing a medical.

“I really believe this guy will be sensational,” said the owner, a Fenerbahce fan.

“He’s a very talented player who showed his talent in the Ukrainian league (where he was on loan at Zorya Luhansk). He had big offers from the Ukrainian league, but he chose to play for Hull City.

“He wants to go further and further in his career and be the next Mo Salah.

“Apart from that we have more, but we cannot say.”

Asked how many more, he explained: “We’ve just had a meeting and I really believe in the coach’s intelligence and vision. He said four is enough for us.

“We don’t want to cut the future of our very young quality players so in order not to close their way, he said four is enough for us at the moment.

“Whatever he says should be done so we will have four transfers in this window.

“We got crazy offers for (Lewis-)Potter but in this transfer window I didn’t even hesitate when asked the question shall I sell him or not. Even if they pay £20m I will not sell him.

“Let’s see Potter with good signings around him, let’s see his talent and how high he goes.”

Ilicali’s takeover has been around six months in the making, and he was relieved to get it done in time to make some transfers.

“The process took a long time,” he said. “I thought in my gut we could do it before the transfer window closed.

“For the last three months I’d been asking Tan (his vice-chairman Tan Kesler), ‘Tan, are we done?’

“First he said, ‘Two weeks,’ then two weeks passed and I asked again: ‘Two weeks.’ This happened for a month, then another month, another week, and now we are done.

“The Allam family were very helpful but buying a big club there are so many details and I am also a celebrity, hosting some shows, owning a TV channel, owning businesses outside of Turkey but this was in front of us.

“It made everyone tired, especially my other companies.

“I am so, so pleased we finished it before the close of the transfer window.

“The transfer window is counting down. I am working maybe 20 hours on the phone to get the best operation at the moment.

“I will be coming to the games as much as I can. Saturday is my daughter’s birthday so after this press conference I’m ging to fly to Turkey and have a small party then come back for the game tomorrow. If it was just an investment I could follow it very easily from my home but I will be here to give my support to this beautiful team.

“We’re going to be one family together. I want this team to be very involved. When I am in the Dominican Republic I will stop the shooting so I can come over for a game, then go back. It’s a 10-hour flight but I will do it because when I am in something, I devote myself.”

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