Birmingham City and Sheffield United must rue transfer miss - Hull City are laughing right now | OneFootball

Oli McBurnie has started his Hull City career in inspired form

Hull City's summer transfer activity was well-documented, with the Tigers somewhat restricted in the market due to the punishment of a fee restriction dished out by the EFL.

Despite the aforementioned punishment recently being reduced from three transfer windows to two, it was still hardly the welcome to English football that Sergej Jakirovic would have hoped for.

It must be said that the Bosnian, alongside figures such as Jared Dublin and new head of recruitment, Martin Hodge, were still able to mould together an extremely experienced and competitive Championship squad capable of matching any side in the division when at full capacity.

No game emphasised this more than Saturday's statement victory at the MKM Stadium against newly-relegated Southampton, with a controlled performance in extremely murky conditions giving the Tigers a 3-1 victory and their second since Jakirovic replaced Ruben Selles in the off-season.

As a result of the fee restriction, much of City's business has gone under-the-radar in comparison to that of several second-tier rivals, especially in a window which saw newly-promoted Birmingham City and Wrexham unafraid to splash the cash, whilst Ipswich Town broke the divisional record for a new signing after parting with £17.5m for Norwegian forward, Sindre Walle Egeli.

Regardless, it is the East Yorkshire side who will be laughing at present after fending off strong competition to land a significant transfer coup in the form of Oli McBurnie, who has returned to the second-tier in inspired form.

The 17-time Scotland international striker's reputation as a powerful centre-forward at this level is well-documented, previously shining for Swansea City and Sheffield United in the Championship and, briefly, in the Premier League for the Blades.

McBurnie was also one of Las Palmas' standout performers last term, accumulating three goals and six assists in La Liga before a relegation clause allowed him to leave the club on a free transfer, which has proven a significant benefit to Hull.

That isn't to dismiss how persuasive the aforementioned Jakirovic and Acun Ilicali had to be to land his services, with his two former clubs, as well as the equally-ambitious Birmingham all interested in striking a bargain deal for his services.

McBurnie would eventually become the standout of the Tigers' 12 new signings across the summer, with a three-year deal seeing him reunite with ex-Sheffield United teammates and stalwarts in John Lundstram and John Egan, and it is clear the effect the Leeds-born man's presence is having on his new club both on and off the pitch.

Oli McBurnie could help Hull City prove many skeptics wrong this season - Birmingham City & Sheffield United may be jealous

After previously being unsatisfied with the style of play in HU3 under Liam Rosenior, Tim Walter and Selles - regardless of different short-term predicaments - supporters have constantly referenced how Jakirovic hasn't been afraid to mix up the Tigers' game depending on the opposition, as well as playing to the strengths of those at his disposal.

Despite being 6"2, McBurnie is much more than the archetypal 'target man', as his link-up play with the likes of Matt Crooks, Joel Ndala, Joe Gelhardt and Kyle Joseph is integral in how the Tigers operate going forward.

An admission from the forward following a stellar performance against the Saints proves how his aerial presence will also be vital to any chances Hull have of proving several skeptics wrong, having been tipped for relegation by many.

He claimed that Ryan Fraser wishes Southampton had a player of such qualities to head home his crosses, which came after a headed assist in a fine move as Lundstram netted his first goal for the Tigers, as well as an unmarked header from a stunning Ryan Giles free-kick.

As a result, McBurnie is now joint-top of the goals and assists charts in the league alongside Anis Mehmeti of Bristol City with six, having also scored against Oxford United and Swansea - ironically, both were also assisted by the aforementioned Giles.

Jakirovic stated post-match that “Opposing players are afraid of him because he is a fighter", and that mentality will certainly serve his side well for the remaining 40 encounters.

Such comments will certainly frustrate those at St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park or Bramall Lane, especially with both sides struggling to find the net consistently in the early weeks of the season.

Blues have somewhat softened said blow by the fact Lyndon Dykes has popped up with two last-gasp winners against Blackburn Rovers and Swansea, although they are yet to see the best of Kyogo Furuhashi and Marvin Ducksch - two extremely high-profile additions from Rennes and Werder Bremen respectively.

Meanwhile, the Blades' issues in front of goal are by far the worst in the division full-stop, with many believing that Chris Wilder could have brought McBurnie back to the club had he not been away from the S2 dugout for a disastrous three-month period.

Only Tyrese Campbell has found the net thus far out of United's centre-forward options, whilst Tom Cannon is still yet to justify his hefty price tag and Danny Ings has only played 12 minutes of football since joining the club as a free agent last month.

Unsurprisingly, it is Hull who are reaping the rewards of the transfer saga. McBurnie will hope to add to his output and prove Birmingham and Sheffield United wrong, as the Tigers face both clubs back-to-back next month.