Hull City will head into the 2024/25 season aiming to force their way into contention for a top-six finish in the Championship.
After missing the play-offs by three points last term, the club sacked manager Liam Rosenior and replaced him with German coach Tim Walter.
The 48-year-old has previously coached Bayern Munich II, Holstein Kiel, VfB Stuttgart and Hamburger SV, but has never worked in England.
Walter will lead City’s charge to return to the Premier League after a seven-year hiatus, but has a tough job on his hands after losing some influential players.
Transfer Business Will be Crucial to Hull’s Promotion Chances
With star centre-back Jacob Greaves signing for Ipswich Town, the new Tigers manager has a big void to fill in his defensive unit.
Former Republic of Ireland U21 international Sean McLoughlin could play a more prominent role which would boost his chances of a call-up to the senior squad.
Ireland fans will be watching with interest when the new season gets underway, with the national team set to embark on a new era under manager Heimir Hallgrimsson.
McLoughlin will be eager to impress the ex-Iceland boss by helping Hull win promotion, although the bookmakers’ odds suggest they will have their work cut out.
Several new betting sites in Ireland rate Hull as 25/1 shots to win the Championship, which puts them in contention to sneak into the top 10.
Irish bettors may view Hull’s odds of 3/1 to finish in the top six as a more realistic betting proposition, particularly if McLoughlin produces his best form.
Regardless of whether the 27-year-old can step up for Hull next season, the club desperately needs to strengthen the squad during the summer transfer window.
Ryan Giles is their only permanent signing up to this point and they look light on numbers after losing several loanees at the end of last season.
Fans have expressed concern after Kieffer Moore signed for Sheffield United despite looking close to moving to the east coast earlier in the summer.
Hull are in talks with Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion over deals to sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Okay Yokuslu, and both would be welcome additions.
Palace starlet Rak-Sakyi has been on the club’s radar for quite some time now. The 21-year-old was close to joining City last summer, but Palace decided to keep him.
Yokuslu is a top target for the Tigers after an excellent season with West Brom and his exploits at the 2024 European Championships with Turkey.
The club also needs reinforcements in several other positions and must work fast to ensure they hit the ground running when the season starts.
Finishing in the Top Six Will be Tricky
The next few weeks will determine whether Hull can mount a serious challenge to secure a place in the Championship play-offs this season.
The trio of teams relegated from the Premier League – Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town – are all expected to challenge for an immediate return to the top flight.
Leeds United should also be in the mix after narrowly missing out last season, while Middlesbrough, West Brom and Norwich City are fancied to be competitive.
Stoke City, Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday are other clubs who will expect to be in contention for the play-offs as the season unfolds.
Hull performed extremely well under Rosenoir last term and the pressure is on Walter to improve on the job he did at the club.
Challenging for the play-offs should be possible if the club strengthens the squad, but the moves must happen quickly to give Walter the best chance of making a positive start.