With Jaden Philogene set to join Aston Villa, Hull will be looking to bring in the 21-year-old winger to bolster their attacking options. Rak-Sakyi would be a massive coup for the Tigers, rated as one of the best talents in Palaces’s academy, the English winger has an impressive scoring tally to his name. He was the top scorer in the 2021/2022 Premier League 2 season with 19 goals in 25 appearances. This stellar season earned the winger a loan move to League One side Charlton, where he was voted as the Addicks’ 2022/2023 player of the season, scoring 15 goals and contributing 15 assists in 49 appearances, all at just 19-years-of-age.
Another player who departed the Tigers this summer was Turkish international Ozan Tufan. The midfielder was Hull City’s second-highest top goalscorer just behind Philogene, leaving the club to join the Turkish league side Trabzonspor. City are set to potentially replace one Turkish international with another, with recent reports indicating that Hull could be set to land West Brom star Okay Yoksulu. The Baggies brought the Turkish midfielder back to the club during the 2022 summer transfer window and he has since gone on to make 82 appearances for the club in the Championship. However, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2025, the Baggies may be forced to sell one of their most important players to one of their promotion rivals.
New manager Tim Walter knows that improvements are needed within the squad but is being patient with his business. Speaking to Hull Live, he said :
“I know the fans aren’t patient, but I’m always patient. I can only do my work with the lads that I have and not more so I have to be patient because at the end of the window, we will have a squad.”
Vice Chairman Tan Kessler also had some words to say about Hull’s interest in Rak-Sakyi.
“We are interested in Rak-Sakyi and so are like 15 other Championship clubs. We made the best offer. Palace feels very comfortable with him playing for us but I think at the moment he’s getting interest from another Premier League club.
“If he doesn’t go somewhere in the Premier League permanently, I’m confident that I would like to see him with us and we will try to do everything to bring him in. We’ve spoken with the agent, we’ve spoken with the player and we’re looking to have another conversation with the player.
“The club is just very comfortable with us, Crystal Palace. Thanks to Dougie (Freedman) and Steve (Parish), they’re very supportive of the player’s development with us so at this minute, it’s about the waiting game a little bit.”
Writer’s View
It’s not an easy time to be a fan of the Tigers right now, there’s no doubt about that. Following the departure of three of your best players, and the recent sacking of your manager, the club is certainly in a tumultuous position. However, Hull have the right man for the job to deal with this uncertain period. The work Acun Ilicali has done for the club cannot be questioned, despite his shortcomings, the Turkish owner has undoubtedly done a world of good for the club, with attendances soaring, games selling out and talents like Philogene even joining the club in the first place.
Things may not look great for City right now, but the signings of Rak-Sayki and Yoksulu are exactly what the Tigers need to get back on the horse and kick on this summer.
