Hull City transfer news: Tigers boost as defender set to swap Sheffield Wednesday for East Yorkshire

It must be said that the disruption the 26-year-old centre-back will be moving into at Hull City is nowhere near what he has left behind at Sheffield Wednesday, but his addition is a welcome boost for the Tigers in a difficult summer.

Hull thought they had made four signings so far in the transfer window but it may turn out to be only two, with restrictions imposed by the Football League threatening the arrivals of Gustavo Puerta and Reda Laalaoui, but not free transfers Semi Ajayi and Dillon Phillips.

On Saturday Sean McLoughlin joined Blackburn Rovers to follow the likes of Marvin Mehlem, Xavier Simons, Anthony Racioppi, Joao Pedro, Nordin Amrabat and Matty Jacob (on loan, to Reading) in leaving during this window.

Central defender Alfie Jones could join Middlesbrough, and midfielder Steven Alzate is expected to join Atlanta United after a pre-season training camp which saw him travel to Turkey but not take part in the games or even training amid reported interest from Valencia, Getafe and Ruben Selles' Sheffield United.

Although two very short-lived transfer embargoes have been lifted, Hull are under fee restrictions which mean they can only replace departing players with free transfers or loan signings that do not include a fee for the next three windows.

They are also not allowed to pay new signings more than £7,000 a week, a figure which put their top target at centre-forward, Oli McBurnie out of reach.

Hull are appealing the punishment, as well as trying to argue that the purchases of Puerta and Laalaoui should be allowed having been agreed but not registered before the fee restriction punishment came into force.

To compound their misery, right-back and captain Lewie Coyle suffered a hamstring injury in Turkey which is expected to keep him out for four to six weeks.

So to be able to bring in a defender of Famewo's quality is a big boost, his patchy fitness record the flip side of their straightened circumstances. Like McLoughlin, he is a centre-back who can also play at left-back.

Ajayis is also a central defender.

He made 56 league appearances in three seasons after joining the Owls from Norwich City and was offered a new deal at the end of last season, only for the South Yorkshire club's severe financial issues to reach crisis point shortly before his deal expired.

In June/July the Owls were under three simultaneous transfer embargoes, now down to one after the cut-price sales of Djeidi Gassma and Anthoyn Musaba, and face the same three-window fee restictions as Hull when they come out of it.

That could well form part of Hull's argument that their restrictions should not last for as long.

One of the cashflow issues which contributed to Hull being late paying suppliers, rival clubs and its players' wages – marginally so in that case – is believed to Wednesday's failure to pay money owed for the singing of Mallik Wilks on time.

As well as the sales of Gassama and Musaba, Wednesday have also seen Josh Windass and Michael Smith exercise their rights to cancel their contracts after not being paid in full and on time in May and June.

Free agent Jonjo Shelvey has been on trial with Hull in pre-season, taking part in the Turkish training camp, and Sergej Jakirovic has spoken openly about their interest in loaning Westerlo's Croatina striker Matija Frigan.

Hull's season starts at Coventry City on August 9.