Hull City are in the grip of an injury crisis as they attempt to keep the pressure on at the top of the Championship table, but manager Liam Rosenior has refuted links with a potential new signing.
It is the Tigers players who are getting mauled, with Jean-Michael Seri, Jaden Philogene, Liam Delap, Aaron Connolly, and Ruben Vinagre all out of the weekend’s clash with Sunderland, but Rosenior won’t be pressured into a move for players. He’s suggested that whilst they are in for players, they’re having to be patient in their pursuit.
“We’re in for some outstanding players, and to get outstanding players, sometimes you have to be patient,” he told the Yorkshire Post. “That’s just the way that the transfer window works. We are in the market for some very, very good players in key positions that I think will help us become a better team.”
One area of the field they are looking to reinforce is the front line, and in recent weeks, they’ve been heavily linked with a move for Barnsley’s Devante Cole. The 28-year-old has hit 16 goals for the Tykes this season, with four in his last four matches. However, former Derby boss Rosenior denied they were pursuing the forward, suggesting in was just media hype.
“No, we haven’t (registered interest),” said Rosenior. “I don’t know where that came from. At the moment, that one is new to me. I saw it on Sky Sports News on the TV, but that’s not anything to do with us.”
It seems Cole isn’t quite the hot property the media want supporters to believe, as the same report pointed out links with Huddersfield Town were also inaccurate.
Cole began his career with Manchester City, earning England honours up to under 19 level, enjoying loan spells with Barnsley and MK Dons. Since then, he’s proven himself to be a strong League One forward but has struggled when stepping up to the Championship – he spent two seasons in the second tier with Wigan without getting a game, then hit just one in 24 outings for Barnsley as they were relegated.
Hull are hunting a return to the Premier League, a level they dropped out of in 2017. They’re something of a surprise package this season, having finished 15th and 19th in their last two seasons.
Writer’s View
Devante Cole isn’t what Hull City need. He hasn’t proven himself at Championship level, and whilst he’s having a good season, Hull look more likely to bring in a younger, dynamic striker. At times, their forward line has fizzed with energy this season, and Cole would feel like a step backward. Liam Delap’s injury is a blow, but any replacement is likely to be like-for-like – a young loan.
His links with them and Huddersfield seem to fall foul of the rule of three. Usually, if a player is linked with three clubs or more in a report, it tends to come from an agent or eager media outlet rather than the clubs themselves. Even though Cardiff have been named as interested, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Cole remain with Barnsley until the summer.
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