Summer signing Oscar Zambrano is one of five senior players left out of Hull City's squad list for the new Premier League season, whilst Leeds United have named only 23 players.

It means that whilst the Whites have space for two free agent signings if they run into an emergency in the remainder of 2026, the Tigers have to find new clubs for three players in the transfers windows still open worldwide, or pay them for nothing.

As well as Zambrano, David Akintola and Kieran Dowell, Hull also omitted Darko Gyabi and Eliot Matazo, who are recovering from significant injuries.

Coach Sergej Jakirovic said in August that former Leeds midfielder Gyabi would be out for three months with a groin injury, whilst Matazo suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament injury in April, 11 minutes into his comeback game after the last one.

OUTCAST: David Akintola (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

placeholder image — OUTCAST: David Akintola (Image: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

This is the second consecutive window Akintola has not been registered for. He remained at the club for the second half of last season and played 81 minutes in the League Cup at Stoke City in August.

Dowell scored in that game, only his second start since joining the club in January.

Jakirovic has spoken about loaning out Ecuadorian Zambrano, who played eight games on loan in 2024-25 whilst awaiting the result of a doping charge, for which he was found guilty. Hull bought him from Maribor, another club their chairman, Acun Ilicali owns.

A number of transfer windows worldwide are still open. Most significantly, Turkish clubs can buy and loan players until midnight on Friday.

DEADLINE-DAY LOAN: Leeds United's Jean-Matteo Bahoya (Image: Neil Baynes/Getty Images)

Abdulkadir Omur has been retained despite Jakirovic encouraging him to look for a move in the transfer window – saved, perhaps, by the decision to loan Liam Millar to Birmingham City four days after the winger scored the only goal of the game against Coventry City.

There is no limit to the number of under-21 players allowed, so new recruits Lucas Herrington, Jens Hjerto-Dahl, Christos Mouzakitis and Robinio Vaz did not have to be included in the 25.

The unregistered players can appear in the League Cup, but Hull have at most three of those games this year.

Leeds had no such juggling to worry about. Their deadline-day loan Jean-Matteo Bahoya is also exempt from the 25-man list.

Clubs can sign free agents outside of the transfer window if the player concerned was released before Tuesday's 11pm deadline, and if they have space in their 25-man squad.

The next transfer window opens on New Year's Day, with clubs free to use any players until a revised 25-man list is submitted shortly after it shuts on February 1.