Hull City head coach Ruben Selles has revealed the reasons he was desperate to bring striker Kyle Joseph to East Yorkshire.
The 23-year-old completed his move to the Tigers yesterday for an undisclosed fee, penning a three-and-a-half year deal in the process. This followed an excellent first half of the season with Blackpool, where he had scored seven goals in 24 league appearances.
Selles had been desperate to improve his attacking options this month. Having joined from Reading in December, the Spaniard has been tasked with salvaging the club’s Championship status and has already made four signings. Joseph’s arrival is the second at the attacking end of the pitch following the loan acquisition of Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United.
“Intense, Aggressive and Front-Footed”
The head coach continues to put his stamp on the squad. Results have picked up since his arrival at the MKM Stadium, winning three of the last six Championship fixtures. Selles is hoping that Joseph will make a difference in the attacking third, revealing why he was keen to add the player to his ranks. Speaking to Hull Live, he said:
“I think Steve (Bruce) and I have the same vision about football. We love the players who can be intense, aggressive and front-footed and still have the quality and ability to combine in possession to score goals, run into the spaces and be team players.
“That’s why Kyle is now with us; it’s because he has all those abilities. He has the task of challenging Joao (Pedro) in that number nine position, but he also can be versatile and sometimes play from the sides, as he did at Blackpool in that double nine or as a winger in that 4-4-2.
“It’s a great addition in terms of character to the group. He’s a winner, a person who wants to do things properly every single time, and Kyle can be a very important addition to our team.”
Writer’s View
Hull’s ambition for this season was to break into the play-off places, but they have ended up in a huge battle to retain their Championship status. Their transfer business so far this month indicates that they are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve just that. Joseph will add an extra dimension to their attack. He was highly rated at Blackpool, although it remains to be seen as to whether he can seamlessly make the step up to the second tier.
