Ali Al-Hamadi signs: Hull City should secure these 2 shrewd transfers before August 30th | OneFootball

We looked at two smart signings Hull City should make before the closure of the transfer window.

Highlights

A new era is underway at Hull City following the appointment of Tim Walter as the club's new head coach.

The Tigers made the shock decision to sack Liam Rosenior last month, despite finishing seventh in the Championship table last season, and Walter has been announced as his replacement.

Walter had been out of work since being sacked by Hamburg in February but he did a decent job during his two-and-a-half-year spell in charge of the German club and he will be hoping to lead Hull to promotion next season.

It could be a busy summer at the MKM Stadium as Walter looks to rebuild his squad and one of his biggest challenges will be to replace some of last season's influential loanees, such as Tyler Morton, Anass Zaroury, and Fabio Carvalho.

Cyrus Christie, Greg Docherty, Adama Traore, Billy Sharp, and Aaron Connolly are among the players who have been released at the end of their contracts this summer, while Ryan Allsop has completed a move to League One side Birmingham City.

Walter is likely to be backed in the transfer market but owner Acun Ilicali revealed he is only able to invest around £14 million this summer due to the EFL's financial regulations, so the Tigers will need to spend wisely.

With that in mind, we looked at two shrewd signings Hull should make before the closure of the window.

Di'Shon Bernard

Hull supporters will be familiar with Di'Shon Bernard after the defender spent the 2021-22 season on loan at the MKM Stadium from Manchester United and he made 28 appearances in all competitions to help the Tigers survive in their first year back in the Championship.

Bernard joined Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer last summer after his release by the Red Devils and he starred for the Owls last season, making 36 appearances in all competitions as his side narrowly avoided relegation.

The 23-year-old's contract at Hillsborough expires this summer and while he has been offered a new deal by Wednesday, The Star claim that "no firm decision has been made" on his future and "talks are ongoing".

Bernard is currently away at the Copa America with Jamaica, and his future is unlikely to be resolved until after the tournament, which could open the door for other clubs to make a move.

Hull have a solid defensive foundation for next season but that could change if Jacob Greaves was to depart this summer amid interest from Ipswich Town and Bernard could be an ideal replacement.

With the Tigers' spending set to be restricted this summer and reinforcements desperately needed in the attacking areas, Ilicali may be reluctant to use too much of his budget on the defence, making Bernard a perfect option on a free transfer.

Ali Al-Hamadi

After a prolific spell at AFC Wimbledon in League Two that saw him score 17 goals and provide seven assists in 29 games in the first half of the season, Ali Al-Hamadi made the move to Ipswich in January.

With the Tractor Boys pushing for automatic promotion, it was always going to be tough for Al-Hamadi to break into the team but he still made a decent impact, scoring four goals and registering one assist in 14 games to help Kieran McKenna's side secure their return to the Premier League.

Only one of Al-Hamadi's 14 appearances for Ipswich came from the start and with McKenna likely to be keen to strengthen in the forward areas this summer, his game time could be limited in the top flight – with a report from Bola Sport suggesting he will not be part of the first team plans next season and could be loaned out.

Newly-promoted Oxford United are said to be keen to sign Al-Hamadi on loan, but they will surely not be the only Championship club interested in the 22-year-old, and he could be an excellent addition for Hull.

Hull are light on strikers after the departures of Sharp and Connolly, while Noah Ohio has returned to his parent club and Liam Delap's £10 million price tag could price the Tigers out of a permanent deal for the Manchester City striker.

Fulham striker Jay Stansfield is said to be on Hull's radar but it remains to be seen whether the Cottagers will allow him to leave on loan again this summer after his successful spell at Birmingham, so Al-Hamadi may be a more realistic option.

There were question marks over whether Al-Hamadi could make the step up to the Championship, but he certainly silenced those doubters, and his promotion experience could come in useful if he was to make the move to the MKM Stadium.