Hull City stat involving £0 ace will give Swansea City, Sheffield United serious transfer envy | OneFootball

Oli McBurnie's impact at the MKM Stadium has been remarkable

Hull City are continuing to defy the odds in the race for promotion from the Championship, with Sergej Jakirovic's side recording three successive wins for the second time in less than two months.

There have been many factors which have allowed the Tigers to be in such an unexpected position as the second tier campaign progresses through the first month of 2026, but the most obvious is certainly how efficient Jakirovic's squad have become in front of goal across 28 matches.

It has been a complete contrast to what City supporters were served up last season under Tim Walter and Ruben Selles, with the East Yorkshire club ending the 2024/25 campaign in 21st, having scored just 44 goals in their 46 league fixtures - the lowest tally out of any Championship side, with a much stronger defensive record aiding their eventual escape from relegation on goal difference.

The Bosnian saw his side break down that particular barrier in last Tuesday's dominant 3-0 success away to Preston North End, as well as surpassing the total of 49 points accumulated last term with 18 league fixtures still to play in Saturday's 2-1 success over Swansea City at the MKM Stadium.

Footage on social media before the home clash against Vitor Matos' side had gone viral, with some opting to believe that Hull's position in the promotion race was rather fortuitous when looking at a handful of data metrics to analyse the side's overall performance.

However, one impressive statistic which followed what could turn out to be a crucial success, with the Tigers not fully at their best for 45 minutes of the encounter, has showcased that they may have picked up the signing of the Championship season, whilst the Swans and Sheffield United continue to look on with an even greater sense of frustration.

Oli McBurnie's importance to Hull City was underlined after Swansea City victory

It has been well-documented that the Tigers were served with a two-window transfer fee restriction by the EFL just weeks after Jakirovic's appointment in HU3, having ironically preserved Kayserispor's Turkish Süper Lig status under even tighter restrictions in the market.

Many then questioned whether City would be able to attract a similar calibre of player to those who had previously come to the club throughout Acun Ilicali's ownership. However, six months later, the club's recruitment continues to become more and more impressive after each passing week.

At the forefront of this was their high-profile acquisition of one-time Championship promotion winner, Oli McBurnie, on a free transfer after his contract with Las Palmas ended following their relegation from La Liga.

The 17-time Scotland international's capture was confirmed three days before the opening game of the season away to Coventry City, and since then, neither he nor the Tigers have looked back.

A 94th-minute winner on his home debut against Oxford United on August 17th after two further assists for Joe Gelhardt and Matt Crooks firmly set the tone for his form which has followed, despite being sidelined for almost two months with a calf issue.

The 29-year-old has provided Jakirovic with a focal point in attack, whilst also linking up play tremendously well with the likes of Crooks, Gelhardt, Liam Millar, Kyle Joseph and Ryan Giles, who had assisted the striker six times before his own recent injury.

Since marking his return to action against Wrexham on December 10th, McBurnie has scored five times and posted a further two assists, as well as leading City's intense press from the front in three straight wins over Southampton, Preston and his former club, Swansea.

His influence was further noted by EFL expert, Benjamin Bloom, after scoring for the second time this season against the South Wales side from the penalty spot midway through the first half.

Despite only featuring in 19 league games, McBurnie has now registered 11 goals and five assists in 1374 minutes of Championship action, equating to one goal involvement every 86 minutes.

Whilst the Swans and Blades have seen both Zan Vipotnik and Patrick Bamford hit rich veins of recent form, such clinicality from McBurnie in Hull's promotion charge will only add to their previous feelings of transfer regret.

Swansea City and Sheffield United both missed out on bargain Oli McBurnie transfer - Hull City are reaping the rewards

McBurnie's potential whereabouts for the current campaign was a saga which dominated Championship transfer headlines last summer, with the Swans, Blades and Birmingham City all heavily linked with the striker's services before his MKM Stadium move was completed.

Prior to Bamford's switch to Bramall Lane on a free transfer in November, McBurnie's former Blades boss, Chris Wilder, placed his frustration on record that the South Yorkshire side had failed to strike a reunion under the management of Ruben Selles in the summer at a time when the Blades were extremely goal-shy.

16 goal contributions in 19 league appearances showcases the rich vein of form which the striker finds himself in, and it already surpasses the number of goals and assists he accrued for United in their 2022/23 promotion-winning season under Paul Heckingbottom (15).

The forward's all-round game and experience has also been key to the Tigers having two players hitting double figures in a Championship season for the first time since 2011/12 in the form of Robert Koren and Matty Fryatt, with Gelhardt scoring 10 times already whilst providing two assists in a second fruitful loan spell from Leeds United.

As such, it is clear as to why Jakirovic was desperate to lure the forward to the MKM Stadium, and he is now also just four goals away from the first goalscoring target