It was a fantastic season for Hull City as they regained their Premier League status which they lost in 2010. Now they have achieved this, focus immediately turns to the summer transfer window in which they must strengthen their squad sufficiently enough to compete and stay in the top tier of English football. As is expected at any Premier League club, they have been linked with many names since they won promotion on the final day of the league season at the expense of Watford. Now it’s time to take a look at two players who Steve Bruce should look to sign this summer to join first signing Maynor Figueroa.
Shaun Maloney
A creative midfielder with the ability to produce a moment of brilliance should be a top priority for the Tigers this summer and they should look no further than Shaun Maloney, who was recently relegated with Wigan Athletic. Maloney was a consistent performer throughout the season, helping the Latics win the FA Cup and pick up league points in their failed survival bid. Maloney also scored six crucial goals in Wigan’s quest for survival which all happened to be in the right hand side of the goal. He conducted Wigan’s midfield like an orchestra, notching up a pass accuracy of 90%. The Scotsman created the most chances at the club with 66 including eight assists. He is a proven Premier League player and has experience of relegation battles which could be key for Hull’s season next year. Wigan’s relegation also means he would be available for a relatively cheap fee. If the Tigers can add a player of his quality to their squad, it would give them a great chance of survival.
Darren Bent
Every newly-promoted team needs a proven goal-scorer, and when Darren Bent is on form, there are not many better strikers for a club such as Hull. Despite the England international not playing much for Aston Villa this season, Bent would be the perfect signing for the Tigers. The fact he played under Bruce during his Sunderland days is a bonus too. Bent had a very poor season, only making eight starts and scoring just three times. He has a shooting accuracy of just 47% too whilst his passing accuracy is only 71%. He may not have got many opportunities but when he has played he has not done much to prove to Paul Lambert why he should have started more games. If Hull signed him it would be a real coup as he will score goals when he is given first-team football. Bent could be available on the cheap and could be The Tigers saviour if they managed to secure his signature.
