Now we have concluded the second and final transfer window of the 2025 / 26 season under the restrictions of a two window embargo, Hull City are now just 15 games away from making the latest raft of signings count towards a serious push towards the promised land of the very lucrative and star studied Premier League.

The Embargo was a punishment enforced onto the club due to what has been described by our Turkish owner as an “accounting error” and was initially a 3 window term. However, after an appeal the Embargo was reduced to two windows starting at the beginning of the 2025 season in summer and ended after the January 2026 window which now leaves us restriction free as we march on to the crucial end to our campaign.

The tragedy fell largely at the feet of new boss appointment, Sergej Jakipovic who had just taken the reigns of the dressing room replacing Ruben Selles and any promises of new signings and a war chest had gone up in smoke as the Embargo forbade any signings, permanent or otherwise to include a transfer or loan fee of any kind. Other than a salary, not a single penny could be spent which left Sergej high and dry and a task of working smart with limitations.

Thankfully, we had appointed Martin Hodge, the ex Owls keeper but more noticeably in recent years for his recruitment skills at Swansea, Burnley, Cardiff and Watford who gelled up with Director of football, the American, Jared Dublin and got straight to work. The biggest signing in summer was target, Oli McBurnie and I have no doubt that Martin, who worked at Swansea during Oli’s time there was a big influence to persuade the big number 9 from the sunnier climes of the Med to his new home here in the chillier, East Yorkshire.

So here we are, a week on from the closed 2nd window of the season and Sergej, Martin, Jared and Acun have once again woven their cost free magic and signed up 6 new larkers for the important run in.

Here’s how the squad has been changed over the month of January with full credit to Arthur Dearing for compiling the list below with my game info in (brackets)

Players out on Loan

10 Abdulkadir Omur -> Antalyaspor (played only 11 games in a year)

17 Abu Kamara -> Getafe (Injured and back at Hull)

34 Harvey Cartwright -> Hartlepool (13 games – 7 clean sheets conceded 6)

48 Mason Burstow -> Bolton (Played 28, scored 8)

45 Kasey Palmer -> Luton (Played 4)

39 Enis Destan -> KVC Westerlo (Yet to feature)

32 Thimothee Lo-Tutala (u21) -> Doncaster (Played 20. Conceded 34. 4 clean sheets)

Jan 26 Players IN

16 Matty Jacob (LB) return from loan at Reading

13 Yu Hirakawa (LW/RW) Loan from Bristol City

31 James Debayo (CB) (u21) From Leeds u21

26 Kieran Dowell (AM) from Rangers.

37 Paddy McNair (CB/DM) from San Diego

33 Toby Collyer (DM/CM/CB) Loan from Man Utd.

36 Lewis Koumas (LW/CF/RW) loan from Liverpool U21

Jan 26 Players OUT

45 Kasey Palmer (AM) on loan to Luton (As above)

14 Harry Vaughan (LW/AM) Loan to Bohemians (Played 1)

30 Brandon Williams (Released)

19 Joel Ndala (loan end)

So who are the January signings?

Firstly , we have recalled Hull City player, left back, 24 year old Matty Jacob back from Reading due to our left sided defensive crisis that has seen Both Ajayi crocked in the African Nations Cup and also Ryan Giles who is just about getting back to full fitness but Jacob (Who’s grandfather Geoff Barker also played as a Hull City defender) has provided cover and tallied up some important game time for his match fitness.

Yu Hirakawa, The Bristol Robin and Japanese International who made an instant mark in a Black and Amber shirt when he came on as a 48th minute sub and waisted no time with a bit of jiggery pokery on the right, sending in a delicious floated ball across the box that invited a bit of theatrics from Oli McBurnie and scissor planted it past Preston’s net minder, Walton just a minute after his debut. A wide energetic player that can plough a furrow on either side of the field. Fantastic loan acquisition IMO.

James Debayo. A permanent shift down the M62 for the 20 year old centre back from Leeds who cut his teeth at Watford Academy and opted to join City after turning down a contract at Elland Road and put pen to paper to secure a future as a Tiger and not a Peacock. James has yet to play in the first team and only made one short spell on the park for Leeds. One for the future?

Kieran Dowell. 28 year old middle England man spending most of his career plying his trade as an attacking midfielder across the Midlands, Yorkshire and Merseyside but did spend three seasons both North and South of his hunting ground, one being a 2 goal stint at Rangers and a more productive spell at Norwich playing 67 games that yielded 11 games. He started off with a very dismal 6 years at his first club Everton, managing just 2 starts before being sent on a list of loan clubs in his last 3 years as a Toffee. Birmingham have allowed him to come to City on loan until the end of the season. His home debut was just a 2 minute trot out against Swansea which we won 2-1 and has featured in 4 games (as I write) all of them as subs and includes a thumper of a goal against Bristol City to reduce a deficit from a 3-1 to a 3-2 defeat.

Paddy McNair. A 30 year old, 6’2” defender who can play as a CB or RB and has been signed on a full from his loan club The Baggies. His parent club was San Diego FC of the MLS and he is of Northern Irish descent. He started his career with the big guns, Manchester united but has played for other big clubs with massive support including Sunderland and Middlesbrough. He made his full debut at home against Bristol City and had a decent game, showing signs of strength on the ball as well as calmness.

Toby Collyer. Another Manchester squad member and another player who was on loan at West Brom joins on loan as a defensive midfielder. At the age of 22 he has featured for both England U16 and U20 squads who made his debut against Bristol City in what was a 3-2 defeat but his inclusion into the team on 76 minutes, just 10 minutes after other newbie, Dowell made a positive difference but sadly for the whole squad it was too little too late on the day.

And finally, Lewis Koumas. The 20 year old loan player from Liverpool could pass for Kyle Joseph’s twin and plays in a like for like position. Striker but also as capable on the wing. Out of 3 outings so far, it was Kyle who put an assist on a plate for Lewis to tuck away his first goal marking his debut after just 4 minutes on the pitch at Blackburn away with an 81st minute winner that collected all 3 points.

On paper, it looks like we’ve hauled a good catch to put to work in the last third of the season and hopefully players are slowly coming back from injury such as Ajayi who’s not expected back until mid March, Matazo, mid March, Gyabi, Mid March and Crooks end of Feb?

That is about everything as I see it and can’t sign off without noting that for the second time under his “family orientated” ownership, Acun has turned debt owed to him by the club into equity to further consolidate the finances. Yes, we’ve saved a fortune in signing on and loan fees but there’s no such thing as a free lunch. There are still salaries to be paid, and I wager there’s at least a compensation package or two that will have been put in place for loss of signing on fees normally seen as part of the orthodox transfer processes so fair play to a responsible and passionate CEO.

Thank you again to Acun, Jared, Martin and his team along with many unseen and uncredited worker bees at City for turning a potential drama into one of the best transfer periods we’ve seen in many a season.

UTT.