Exclusive: Hull City eyeing Burnley raid ahead of January | OneFootball

Championship play-off hopefuls Hull City are eyeing a January loan deal for Burnley's Bashir Humphreys, Football League World understands

Hull City are among a number of Championship clubs lining up a January loan swoop for Burnley's Bashir Humphreys ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, sources have exclusively revealed to Football League World.

The Tigers have emerged as one of the leading surprise packages of the 2025/26 second-tier campaign to date, finding themselves positioned in firm play-off contention as we edge closer to the season's mid-way point.

Indeed, Hull are sitting all the way up in sixth position after 21 matches, having won three of their last four encounters - including victories over two top-six rivals in Millwall and Stoke City - ahead of this Saturday's home fixture at the MKM Stadium against Ryan Mason's West Bromwich Albion.

Sergej Jakirovic's side were widely-tipped as relegation candidates heading into the campaign, having only narrowly swerved the drop on the final day of the previous term under Ruben Selles before the Spaniard was relieved of his duties in a then-contentious decision by chairman Acun Ilicali.

The fact that Hull were then struck with a three-window transfer fee embargo, later reduced to two, meant that many felt the Tigers were destined for the drop, with Jakirovic limited to recruiting free agents and loan players throughout the summer.

However, Hull have only strengthened under the Bosnian's leadership and are now looking to make moves in preparation for the January window as they bid to tighten their grip on a place in the top-six come May.

Hull City eyeing Burnley's Bashir Humphreys

Sources close to Football League World have exclusively revealed that Hull are just one of a number of unnamed clubs throughout the EFL to hold an interest in taking the aforementioned Humphreys out of Turf Moor on a loan deal for the remainder of the season.

Humphreys, who signed on loan for Burnley last season from Chelsea with a reported £12 million upfront obligation to buy, finds himself out of favour under Scott Parker after helping the Clarets gain promotion to the Premier League.

The Cobham academy graduate made 25 Championship appearances for Burnley last time out as they finished as runners-up to Leeds United, but has played just two minutes of Premier League football to date amid his side's battle against relegation straight back to the second-tier.

He may well be considering a January exit from Burnley in a bid to receive regular match minutes elsewhere, then, and FLW understands that Hull are keeping tabs on the central defender's potential availability next month.

Still aged just 22, Humphreys boasts no shortage of Championship experience, with the ex-Paderborn loan man having also spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Swansea City.

Hull City must strengthen defensive depth in January transfer window - Burnley, Bashir Humphreys deal makes sense

It's perhaps no real surprise that Hull are casting their eyes on a loan addition to Jakirovic's backline. Despite the Tigers' success thus far this season, they have been extremely leaky defensively, conceding the second-most goals per match in the entire Championship with 1.70 and, at 39.3, the division's highest xG.

This is, it must be said, simply par of the course to some extent with Jakirovic's high-octane counter-attacking style, which sees Hull frequently putting opponents on the back foot and committing lots of bodies forward, although the MKM Stadium outfit still need to tighten up defensively if they wish to sustain a shock bid for a play-off finish.

Hull are relatively short-staffed at the centre of defence; in Charlie Hughes, the Tigers boast one of the EFL's most highly-rated defenders and he's partnered by a reliable, tried-and-tested second-tier operator in former West Brom star Semi Ajayi.

However, the latter's rather patchy injury record, coupled with the fact that John Egan and Akin Famewo are the only other remaining senior options at Jakirovic's disposal, means that a deal for the out-of-favour Humphreys in January would make a great deal of sense and represents a deal worth doing.