Hull stay on Sagbo’s trail as Hunt takes role with Leeds

HULL CITY continue to chase Evian striker Yannick Sagbo as Steve Bruce looks to finalise his attack ahead of the new season.
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The Tigers manager has been desperate to bolster his attack from the moment promotion was clinched last May.

Charlie Austin was his number one target but a £4.5m transfer fell through when the Burnley striker failed a medical.

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Since then, Hull have brought in Sunderland striker Danny Graham on a season-long loan deal and now Bruce wants to push through the signing of Sagbo.

Sources have indicated that Hull’s bid is £1.75m for the 25-year-old and it is hoped agreement can be reached this week.

Hull are also hoping to complete a deal for Stoke City midfielder Wilson Palacios. The Honduran played under Bruce at Wigan and has been told he is surplus to requirements at the Britannia by new manager Mark Hughes.

Any deal, however, could hinge on whether Stoke want a fee for Palacios.

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Leeds United have appointed former Blackburn Rovers deputy chief executive Paul Hunt as the club’s new acting chief executive.

The Elland Road post has been vacant since a boardroom shake-up at the start of this month that included previous incumbent Shaun Harvey stepping down and reverting to the role of director.

Ken Bates also relinquished the position of chairman and was replaced by Salah Nooruddin with David Haigh, a director of owners GFH Capital, becoming managing director.

Haigh said: “We are very pleased with this appointment, as it strengthens the existing management team we have in place. Paul has already been working with the club in an advisory capacity and in his new role he will have a key part to play in the day-to-day management of the club.”

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Hunt, who has also worked for Leicester City and Wigan Athletic, arrives at Leeds with a wealth of football experience.

His time at Blackburn, however, ended controversially in 2012 after a letter to the Lancashire club’s owners calling for manager Steve Kean to be sacked was leaked by another party to the media. Kean had become a hate figure among Rovers’ supporters and Hunt’s sentiments struck a chord with the regulars at Ewood Park, but the club’s owners decided to stick with the Scot.

Hunt’s brief will be to oversee the day-to-day running of the football club, leaving managing director Haigh and chairman Nooruddin free to concentrate on bringing in investment at Elland Road.

Sheffield United have signed Liverpool youngster Conor Coady on loan until January.

The 20-year-old, who can play in defence or midfield, captained England at the recent Under-20s World Cup. Coady is David Weir’s sixth signing of the summer.