Tim Iroegbunam's move to Hull City is back on | OneFootball

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Tim Iroegbunam's proposed move to Hull City appears to be back on after the combative midfielder made a surprise return to the pitch on Saturday at Bournemouth.

The proposed summer departure of Tim Iroegbunam to newly-promoted Hull City hit a major snag when negotiations stalled after the player suffered a knock during a preseason friendly against Stuttgart, leading Hull to express fears over a long-term layoff — a diagnosis that was disputed by sources close to the player and indeed he made a surprise  return to the Everton first-team squad at the weekend.

Having submitted an offer exceeding £15M for the 23-year-old midfielder, Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic publicly praised Iroegbunam's dynamic profile and physical presence. And it seems the deal is now back on again.

Everton's acquisitions of Hayden Hackney and Christian Nørgaard in the past few weeks have pushed Iroegbunam further down the pecking order, leaving his long-term future at Everton uncertain.

Since arriving from Aston Villa in July 2024, Iroegbunam has served as a primary rotational option in central midfield. While his combative nature and aerial presence give Everton a strong physical profile in the middle of the park, his aggressive tackling style has frequently caught the eye of referees.

During his key run in the first-team squad, Iroegbunam accumulated a notable disciplinary record relative to his overall minutes played, clocking up 9 yellw cards over 29 Premier League appearances last season.

His eager style of play in the heart of the Everton midfield often edged into reckless territory when breaking up opposition counter-attacks and this unfortunate propensity for picking up early cautions often limited his ability to make tactical fouls late in matches, forcing Moyes to sub him off prematurely in several tight contests.