Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has said he won’t stand in the way of highly-rated centre back Jacob Greaves if the club receive an offer from a Premier League club for the 24-year-old.
Hull-born Greaves has made 177 appearances for the East Yorkshire side, scoring six goals, since making his debut in 2020 when the club were in League One. Prior to breaking into his hometown club’s first team, the defender spent a season on loan at Cheltenham Town in League Two, making 35 appearances during his spell in Gloucestershire. Greaves’ father Mark is also a well-known name at the club, having made over 200 appearances in black and amber between 1996 and 2002.
The Tigers go into the new season having finished 7th last campaign, prompting owner Ilicali to sack popular boss Liam Rosenior and replace him with former Hamburg manager Tim Walter after they failed to make the play-offs. Expectations are high for the club with many considering this year’s Championship to be considerably weaker than the previous season.
Life could however be made even tougher next season if Greaves was to leave, which there is a high chance of currently. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Ilicali said:
“Greaves wants to play in the Premier League and he’s such a nice boy. I love him as a character, he’s a real captain and I told him, ‘Greaves we need you, you are so good, please stay with us.’ But if his brain and soul is completely with another club, we will not stop him.”
They may need to sell the defender this summer having spent heavily since the Turkish millionaire bought the club in 2022 as profit and sustainability rules limit what they can spend.
“They can only let me spend £14m, £15m from my pocket so I’m spending it to the limit,” the 55-year-old owner added.
“There are some assets at our club – Abdulkadir Omur is a big talent who is our asset now, Jaden Philogene at the moment, Ozan Tufan.
“If you ask me do we have the room to buy big transfers, we don’t. If one of our players goes we will immediately make another signing, of course, but I don’t want them to go because I love all of my players.”
Left-footed centre back Greaves has previously been linked with a move to Everton and this interest is likely to return should the Toffees sell newly-capped England international Jarrad Branthwaite.
Any move for the defender is likely to command a high fee though, with Greaves’ contract running until 2026 with an option for a further year and owner Ilicali reluctant to sell. It is because of these factors, and his Championship form over recent seasons, that Transfermarkt value the player at £13 million.
“I will never sell them unless they come and say they want to go. I advised (Keane Lewis) Potter not to go (to Brentford two years ago). If he had stayed for a year it would have been good for him and us.
“But if they feel they are going to play and be successful, for me their future is always important.”
Hull go into the new season having finished 7th last campaign, prompting owner Ilicali to sack popular boss Liam Rosenior and replace him with former Hamburg manager Tim Walter ahead of the new campaign. Expectations are high for the club with many considering this year’s Championship to be considerably weaker than the previous season.
Writer’s View
Greaves is a player who could quite easily make the step up to the top-flight having gained vast amounts of EFL experience and possessing a fairly strong all-round game. Given Hull’s failure to reach the play-offs and their owner’s admission that they are limited on funds to spend this summer, a move may suit both parties.
If a transfer doesn’t materialise in this window, it’s hard to see a situation where the defender doesn’t leave the MKM Stadium next summer if the Tigers don’t go up.