Hull City, Ruben Selles update emerges as Acun Ilicali prepares big decision | OneFootball

Ruben Selles' future remains top of Acun Ilicali's agenda

A fresh update concerning Ruben Selles' long-term future at Hull City has emerged.

This comes from Barry Cooper of Hull Live, with it being reported that City owner, Acun Ilicali, and other members of the hierarchy at the MKM Stadium - including new head of recruitment Martin Hodge - are set for a series of post-season reviews in Ilicali's home city of Istanbul, with the Spaniard's position as head coach, unsurprisingly, top of the agenda.

Just hours after seeing the Tigers escape the drop into League One at the expense of Luton Town on goal difference with a 1-1 draw away to Portsmouth, initial reports broke revealing that the Spaniard's position in East Yorkshire was far from secure.

No change has been officially made by Hull in the days which followed such revelations, with contrasting reports soon emerging regarding the prospect of former West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Sunderland boss, Tony Mowbray, taking over from the 43-year-old heading into next season.

And, whilst Selles' position remains up for debate in the coming days, Tigers supporters have now been given some form of clarity heading into what could be a defining week for all concerned with the club.

At the time of his appointment on December 6th, Selles was handed a two-and-a-half-year contract at the MKM with Ilicali revealing he was the club's "number one target" to replace Tim Walter, who was appointed last June following Liam Rosenior's shock departure.

Hours after the final whistle at Fratton Park, it was reported by Mike White of BBC Radio Humberside that a potential change in the dugout was being considered, as well as the fact he would be more surprised if the former Reading boss was in charge of the first game in 2025/26.

Amid continued uncertainty, Mike McGrath of the Telegraph then revealed that some of City's Championship rivals and clubs across the EFL have shown "concrete interest" in Selles, before the aforementioned fresh update gave a timescale of when the crucial decision is set to be made.

The report states that Ilicali, alongside sporting director Jared Dublin, the aforementioned Hodge and member of the board, Mustapha Yokes, will come together to review the recently concluded campaign which saw the Tigers drop 14 places in the second-tier standings compared to their position in 2023/24, which was also the club's highest finish since being relegated from the Premier League in 2017.

The first meeting among the higher-ups will take place on Tuesday, with a decision on Selles' future to be decided in the days which follow after he was spotted alongside first-team coach, Tobias Loveland, at the first leg of the League One play-off semi-final between Wycombe Wanderers and Charlton Athletic.

It is also understood that former Barcelona midfielder and current Eyupspor boss, Arda Turan, would not take over the reins if the former Southampton head coach was dismissed, despite claims in the Turkish media.

If Ilicali was to make yet another off-season change in the dugout, the City owner would be looking at the sixth permanent appointment since his £30m takeover back in January 2022.

Despite being far from flawless during his first 27 league games, many supporters feel that Selles has earned a fair opportunity to continue the rebuilding job which he started at a time when City propped up the Championship, eventually taking 34 points from those games and making his side much harder to beat.

With links to Turan and Mowbray quashed, it remains to be seen who would take over in HU3, although it wouldn't be a decision that would please the masses, with many crying out for stability and steadiness, two buzzwords which haven't been associated with City in a positive fashion in the past 12 months.