Shock Philogene boost: How Hull City's perfect 2024 summer transfer window surely looks | OneFootball

FLW looks at the ideal summer window for the Tigers

Hull City's squad returned to training at the beginning of the week, with plenty of work needed between now and the start of the season.

The quality of last season's squad under Liam Rosenior was well-documented, as the former boss utilised the loan market to great effect, in particular to source the likes of Liam Delap, Tyler Morton and Fabio Carvalho, among others.

His successor, Tim Walter, has seen more rumours regarding the potential departure of some of his most sought-after talents over the course of the summer, but the goalposts have started to move slightly in that regard.

It's four weeks until the German's first game in charge against Bristol City, with the summer transfer window closing 20 days later on August 30th.

With that in mind, Football League World takes a closer look at what constitutes an ideal window for the German and the Tigers.

Jaden Philogene remains a Hull City player

Given the stellar form showcased throughout his first season at the MKM, it's no surprise that Jaden Philogene has been so in-demand throughout the window.

It looked as if the most likely destination for the 22-year-old was Ipswich Town after reports of a potential double-deal with Jacob Greaves, before the likes of Everton and Aston Villa have tried their hand in the saga, with Villa also holding the card of a 'matching rights' clause.

Whilst it wouldn't be to the shock of anyone if the England U21 international moved on after just one season with City, recent developments such as a report from Hull Live, which claims that City are looking at the prospect of retaining their key attacking weapon if an agreement cannot be put in place with any of the aforementioned clubs in a saga which has dragged on endlessly in recent weeks.

Philogene was also Hull's top scorer last season with 12 goals to his name, proving most weeks that the £5m fee to acquire him from Villa was a potential bargain.

It has been reported that the Tigers are closing in on securing the services of Kieffer Moore from AFC Bournemouth, which would be an excellent addition to an area of the squad which was previously lacking in numbers and Championship quality.

Walter also activated Colombian forward Oscar Estupinan's recall clause from Brazilian outfit Bahia - after the former Vitoria Guimaraes man failed to fit into Rosenior's own system, despite scoring 14 times in 42 appearances for City to date.

However, the German mustn't rest on his laurels there, as more depth in this department would be required if City are to sustain a play-off or promotion bid next season.

Jay Stansfield and Zan Celar are two men who have previously been linked in the window with potential moves to the MKM this summer, with the duo scoring 34 goals between them across domestic competitions in England and Switzerland last term.

Stansfield equipped himself superbly in a Birmingham City side whose inconsistencies were well-documented, and the chance to play a part in a sustained challenge at the right end of the table could tempt another loan move from Fulham, who are said to be keeping an eye on his progress this pre-season.

Tim Walter reunites with Hamburg SV duo

Another avenue the Tigers must explore between now and Deadline Day is their new boss' connections with his former employers, not too dissimilar to the policy of signing players with affiliations to Ilicali's home country of Türkiye.

The centre of midfield also presents a major void at present for Hull, who have lost the services of Tyler Morton, Greg Docherty and Ozan Tufan.

Therefore, it may seem ambitious given his form, but Walter's previous success with Slovakian midfielder Laszlo Benes at the Volksparkstadion should make the 26-year-old a prime target, having accumulated 13 goals and 11 assists for 'Die Rothausen' last term - 19 of which came prior to the former VfB Stuttgart boss' dismissal on February 12th.

Walter and Benes needed no introduction to each other in Hamburg either, having previously been a loan acquisition under the German at Holstein Kiel in 2018/19, showcasing the ability to get the best out of the midfielder in differing environments.

Furthermore, should Philogene depart, City should look to target another one of Walter's former colleagues, 28-year-old left-winger, Jean-Luc Dompé.

In the exact same fashion as the aforementioned Benes, Luc Dompé flourished under Walter last season when it came to goal contributions, with only one of his ten coming after the 48-year-old's axe after a 4-3 defeat to Hannover 96.

The former French U20 international is also out of contract next summer, which could make a cut-price deal viable.

Jason Lokilo and Ryan Longman move on

For all parties, a permanent exit for 23-year-old Ryan Longman is the best possible scenario.

Despite not being on the largest of estimated salaries - £4,038 according to Capology - it's imperative that the former Brighton and Hove Albion man is given a new lease of life away from HU3.

Divisional rivals Millwall have placed their ambitions of a permanent deal on record, with Longman's best form in his loan spell at the Den coming towards the back end of last season, whilst Derby County are also keen on striking a deal alongside League One duo Birmingham City and Wrexham.

Longman was the scorer of some spectacular efforts against Bristol City, Everton and AFC Bournemouth back in the 2021/22 campaign, but failed to stake a claim for a regular starting berth under Shota Arveladze or Rosenior in the last two seasons.

The fact Hull's stance on the winger's future remains unchanged despite a changing of the guard effectively confirms the writing is on the wall, as far as his career in Black and Amber is concerned.

As well as Longman, Jason Lokilo has been linked with a permanent exit from the MKM despite being involved in Walter's pre-season programme so far.

After moving from Sparta Rotterdam last term, the 25-year-old Belgian failed to register a single Championship goal contribution, with his only goal coming in an FA Cup defeat at Birmingham City, before he failed to make an impact at FC Vizela, as his temporary side were relegated from the Portuguese top flight.

Whilst he also isn't on the most lucrative of wage packets in East Yorkshire, they could easily be used to fund other areas of the squad or allow Walter to pursue a higher calibre of player in the same position.