'I never want to ruin their career' - Hull owner on speculation as Town target duo

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has revealed that he won't stand in the way of any of his players if they ask to leave this summer, following reports that Ipswich Town have launched a double bid to sign Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene.

A report from Pete O'Rourke on Football Insider claimed that the Blues have offered north of £30 million for the pair, while The Athletic have claimed that the proposed fee is in the region of £35 million.

Greaves, 23, has been linked with a move to Everton and West Ham, while Ipswich have stood firm on their £10 million valuation for the centre-back who was named in the Championship Team of the Season for 2023/24.

Philogene, on the other hand, is a target for numerous Premier League sides, as well as La Liga giants FC Barcelona.

Ilicali revealed that the reported interest in the 22-year-old winger is genuine, and despite previously claiming that the club would turn down any offers below £25 million, he confirmed that the Tigers will sanction a transfer if he asks to leave this summer.

"Of course, if you ask me, I told my fans that I would sell nobody. My idea in football is not to make money, my idea is to make a strong and bigger club," he told TalkSPORT [via HullLive].

“But to make a bigger club, sometimes if a player says I want to go, that's a different case. For me, if one player changes, it's not the end of the road.

“But if any of my players, I will never want to ruin their career or their mood because by pushing them because there is a contract. If Jaden wants to move and says he wants to go somewhere, this is something we cannot do too much because this is his life.

“I love all of my boys. For me, their life and career, I am responsible too. If they don't want to play with us, they don't want to play with us.”