Football League World
·12 October 2024
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·12 October 2024
FLW looks at the players currently out of contract at the MKM Stadium
Hull City's start to life under Tim Walter has been a mixed bag in terms of results and performances.
The German's unique style of play meant it would always take a lengthy period of time for his new chargers to adjust to such methods, as well as a high amount of player turnover in the summer transfer window.
As many as 17 new signings have come through the door in the opening months of his reign at the MKM Stadium, and a number of those have already made significant impressions on supporters.
Of course, it wasn't ideal that the club lost so many key players from last season's near miss on the Championship play-offs, but fresh faces such as Mohamed Belloumi have shown signs that they can replace the likes of Jaden Philogene, who was one of many standouts for the Tigers.
In the coming months, Walter, Acun Ilicali and the recruitment team in East Yorkshire will begin to start forward-planning in terms of how the squad can progress over time, which means some brutal decisions may have to be made in terms of players who are currently out-of-contract in June 2025.
There are currently five among the Hull ranks who fall into said bracket, and Football League World has looked at each of their individual circumstances.
Joao Pedro has only been with the club for a matter of weeks after his free transfer in September, but he kicks off this quintet after being handed an initial one-year deal, with the option for City to potentially extend his contract until 2026.
The experienced forward is well known for his lengthy spell with Serie A outfit Cagliari between 2014 and 2022, during which he found the net 86 times and assisted a further 28 goals across 271 outings.
However, a spell at Fenerbahçe, a club closely linked to Hull through the aforementioned Ilicali, and a temporary switch to Gremio wouldn't go as first envisaged, with the Turkish giants terminating the 32-year-old's contract in August.
Pedro showed glimpses of his centre-forward play in an 18-minute cameo against Norwich City, seeing a goal disallowed for handball in the process.
At present, the one-time Italy international provides adequate competition for Chris Bedia and Mason Burstow, but it remains to be seen whether he will remain in East Yorkshire at the conclusion of the campaign.
Dogukan Sinik's career with Hull has been well-documented, albeit for the wrong reasons.
The £4m acquisition from Antalyaspor signed a three-year deal back in the summer of 2022, but remains an enigma to the majority of supporters, having featured just 13 times for the club at present.
Sinik was blighted by a knee injury just weeks after signing, which has been a reoccurring theme for the 25-year-old inbetween loan spells with Antalyaspor and Hatayspor.
At present, the winger has just returned to first-team training under his third boss at the MKM after suffering a tendon injury in pre-season, meaning there are only months left for the six-time international to make a strong impression with his future at the club in mind.
Ryan Longman is another man who has endured mixed fortunes across his time in HU3, and he could also depart the club on a free transfer next June.
After impressing whilst initially on loan under Grant McCann, with notable strikes against Bristol City, Everton and Bournemouth in particular, Longman was handed a three-and-a-half year deal in January 2022, but has struggled to find consistency ever since.
The Brighton academy graduate's form was indifferent across the 2022/23 campaign, before finding his strongest run of form on loan at Millwall last season under Neil Harris, which led to interest from the Lions over a permanent deal, as well as Birmingham City, Wrexham and Derby County.
However, misfortune would hit the 23-year-old after an impressive pre-season campaign, dislocating his shoulder against Reading just a week before the beginning of Walter's first competitive game in charge against Bristol City.
As is the case with the aforementioned Sinik, Longman is back in first-team training now, and he will hope to back up Tan Kesler's words in the off-season regarding his eventual importance to the squad and earn a new contract.
Brandon Fleming's career with his hometown club has also been tumultuous after his first-team breakthrough in 2019.
The 24-year-old's most recent deal was signed in the summer of 2022, after impressing alongside Keane Lewis-Potter on the left-hand side under McCann and Shota Arveladze.
But, since then, Fleming has made just four appearances for the Tigers, and after a disastrous loan spell at Shrewsbury Town - which left Liam Rosenior extremely frustrated over the third tier side's treatment of the left-back amid an ankle issue - he is currently on loan with Doncaster Rovers in League Two, making a steady start to life at the EcoPower Stadium.
Fleming's contract can be extended until 2026 by the club. But, it would seem rather unlikely that the clause would be activated at this moment in time.
Will Jarvis' predicament is an intriguing one at present, having recently impressed on loan with Shelbourne in the League of Ireland.
After making his senior bow for City in an EFL Cup defeat against Wigan Athletic three years ago, months after signing his first professional contract, Jarvis' league debut came the following week against Derby County.
After honing his craft in loan moves to Scarborough Athletic and York City, Jarvis penned a two-year deal with Hull in August 2023 after completing a loan switch to the Irish side, registering two goals and as many assists in his first 12 appearances for the club.
The York-born attacker then returned to Tolka Park in January and had an even greater impact on Damien Duff's side in the 2024 campaign with eight goals and five assists, before the league leaders were rocked by the Championship side's decision to recall Jarvis in early August.
The homegrown talent impressed in four substitute cameos in the first month of the season, but since the arrivals of Mohamed Belloumi and Abu Kamara on Deadline Day, Jarvis hasn't featured in a matchday squad since, leaving him at risk of becoming a free agent next summer.