Hull City's planning difficult amidst play-off uncertainty but ambition will never waver - Tan Kesler

There are surely no two divisions in world football with a bigger financial chasm than the Premier League and Championship.

Hull sit three points outside the play-off places with a game in hand on Norwich City, whose goal difference is eight better.

The Wembley winners and losers will find out in the last weekend of May which division they will be playing in this August. For Hull it will mean significant work on their squad either way, to help bridge the gulf in class Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town have found so difficult this season, or upgrade without breaking the Championship's spending rules.

There has been a definite mood swing since the Covid-19 pandemic to more stringently enforce the financial fair play restrictions which Hull have tried hard to push up against without exceeding.

“It's very difficult to plan,” insists Kesler, who has overseen a big investment in his 14 months as chairman Acun Ilicali's right-hand man with promotion the target.

“In my opinion the Championship is one of the toughest leagues, if not the toughest league, in the world because it has the potential of Premier League but the quality is lacking.

“That doesn't mean it's not there, it's just most of the players are developing to be Premier League level and to compensate for that they require more physical contributions. That makes it unique.

“On the other hand, the Championship is one of the most regulated leagues in the world. We don't follow UEFA's financial fair play regulations, we follow the EFL's (called "profit and sustainability rules" or PSR).

“At the same time the chairman wants to do everything (possible) financially and see what comes out of it.

“I'm never going to sit here and tell you our next ambition is to be 10th and stay in the division – we're not people like this, we're very competitive.

“We will try to continue that if we're not promoted.

“We will look for different sets of players skills and certain players will stay. We've already secured certain players for our future, whether it's (Jaden) Philogene (inset), or Ozan (Tufan), Abdus (Omur), we are bringing talent in.

“If we don't lose the other talent we are going to be competing to the same standard but we'll always try to compete at that level.”

Ilcali would like to invest more into his squad, but the rules are designed to ensure clubs generate more of their own income and are less reliant on benefactors.

The Football League has asked for a bigger share of Premier League revenues in solidarity payments, but the top-flight clubs have been unable to agree an offer, let alone an acceptable one, prompting Ilicali to publish an open letter to all fans calling for a resolution.

Hull left for a five-day training camp in Turkey on Monday without Liam Delap, who they had hoped would be ready to step up his rehabilitation in Antalya.