Hull hold talks over parachute payments

The Tigers are due to receive around 9m this Friday with a further payment of around 8.5m set to follow midway through the season.

However, concerns have been raised in recent days that the Premier League may now withhold the money.

The Yorkshire Post understands officials of the top flight are instead considering a plan to pay the cash direct to any clubs who City still owe in unpaid transfer fees.

Hull were anticipating this being the case with regards tothe outstanding monies owed to Stoke City and Fulham for the sale of Ibrahima Sonko, Seyi Olofinjana and Jimmy Bullard.

But what is believed to have taken the East Riding club by surprise is a suggestion from the Premier League that transfer fees owed to clubs from outside England may also be deducted from this Friday's payment.

If that proves to be the case, it would all but wipe out the 9m, a significant proportion of which City were hoping to be able to bank as part of the on-going battle to pay off their debts.

The 2.7m transfer of Kamel Ghilas from La Liga outfit Celta Vigo is one deal where money remains outstanding along with Jozy Altidore's loan move from Villareal and Steven Mouyokolo's 2.5m switch from Boulogne in France.

No-one from the club was available to comment last night, though it is not believed the Tigers are in imminent danger of being plunged into administration – and, therefore, incurring a 10-point penalty – if the entire sum is withheld.

The Yorkshire club, who are due to receive 48m over the next four years in parachute payments, also owe around 4m to the taxman. Talks are believed to be ongoing with the Inland Revenue to reschedule the payments, with the next instalment due at the end of this month.

Hull, whose players agreed a wage deferral earlier this summer, have raised around 7m in transfer fees this summer in selling Mouokolo and Stephen Hunt to Wolves, and Boaz Myhill to West Bromwich Albion.

The club's wage bill, which last season stood at 39m, has also been slashed by the departure of several other high-earners, including George Boateng, Bernard Mendy and Geovanni.