Steve Bruce to talk to Hull City targets: Emile Heskey, Paul Anderson and Paul Coutts in frame
HULL City will look to push forward negotiations with several transfer targets this week as manager Steve Bruce attempts to step up his business before pre-season starts next week.
Although the Tigers have so far been inactive in the summer transfer market, Bruce will hope his search for new blood bears fruit in the next seven days.
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Emile Heskey
Heskey is the most high-profile name currently on Bruce's shopping list but former Nottingham Forest winger Paul Anderson and Preston midfielder Paul Coutts have also attracted City's attention.
Former England forward Heskey is currently enjoying a family holiday in the Middle-East and will mull over interest from the Tigers before he returns to England next week.
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Both the 34-year-old and his agent played down talk of a two-year contract offer from Tigers when contacted by the Mail yesterday, but Bruce's interest is clear after spells managing Heskey at Birmingham and Wigan.
A third spell together would rest upon City meeting the striker's financial expectations but Heskey is open to the idea of dropping down to the Championship after 15 years in the top flight. Leicester, Heskey's boyhood club, appear unlikely to follow up initial interest, according to sources in the East Midlands.
Elsewhere, City are also thought to be tracking former youth-team star Anderson over a possible return to the KC Stadium on a free transfer.
The winger is out of contract after leaving Nottingham Forest and is known to be hopeful of a move to City after a potential switch to Championship rivals Blackpool fell through on financial grounds.
Anderson spent two years on City's books as a youth before moving to Liverpool in 2006 as part of a swap deal that saw John Welsh move in the opposite direction.
A move back to the KC Stadium would unquestionably appeal to Anderson after he spent his childhood supporting the Tigers. He is also close friends with City skipper Jack Hobbs after their time together in the Anfield youth-team ranks.
The exit of Richard Garcia and the loss of Robbie Brady and Josh King back to Manchester United leaves Bruce with a paucity of wide options and Anderson, who can operate on either flank, would appeal as an established Championship performer.
Another name on Bruce's wish-list is Preston man Coutts.
The Mail understands a £400,000 bid would be enough to prise the highly-rated midfielder away from Deepdale and City are one of several Championship clubs keeping tabs.
Coutts, a former Scotland under-21s international, has endured a fractious relationship with Preston manager Graham Westley and former club Peterborough have joined Birmingham and City in the race for his signature.
The tough-tackling 23-year-old is best utilised as a central midfielder but can also offer energy from wide.
Although City are yet to announce their first new signing of the summer with less than a week remaining before pre-season, Bruce is hopeful of pushing through several of his targets in the coming days.
A double swoop for Manchester United youngsters Ryan Tunnicliffe and Michael Keane has been well documented, while American goalkeeper and former loan star Brad Guzan is among the preferred candidates to fill the vacant goalkeeper's spot at the KC Stadium.
Comments
by peterw6889
Monday, July 09 2012, 8:44PM
“Football is slightly more exciting than earwax”
by HCAFCscarb
Thursday, June 28 2012, 2:51PM
“Hi piddsta. I think alot of supporters from the boothferry park days are eternal optimists .
Years of division 3 and 4 footy makes you start thinking
" next season we will do good " year after year till there's only 3 or 4,000 supporters left.
Those thinking " next season "
If we hadn't thought that way we would have all given up..
:-)
This season we Will make the play offs and hopefully we Will go up..
But if we don't , there's always the next season.
The last few years have been our best ever . Even last season.
When I hear people coming out about how rubbish we just was I think you should have seen us at the foot of division 4 when we really where like a pub team.
Enough rambling on, windows to wash, hoovering to be done
Steve Bruce is going to be the best manager we have ever had with fans celebrating promotion come may and praising the Allams for sacking NB.
:-)”
by piddsta
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 10:00PM
“Coutts not Courts, bloody iPhone spellchecker went all Bruce Forsyth on me.”
by piddsta
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 9:58PM
“You've got to remember that there isn't going to be one single signing that brings success, it's a jigsaw puzzle. The art of team building. Heskey isn't a donkey, he is very adept at holding up the ball and can stick the ball in the net, he is a number 10. Matty is our centre forward, he did very well last season in a system where he wasnt allowed to play to his strengths. The goal at Blackpool showed you where he is most effective - in the box. Heskey will allow that to happen. We all know if you put Matty in the box he will score goals.
I bet Brucie can't believe his luck - it's a lot easier to find a number 10 than a number 9. He's got his goal machine already in place.
Courts is an interesting one, would be good sitting alongside a slightly deeper Robert Koren, who can make those runs undetected which bring him so many goalscoring chances. Much less pressure on Koren.
Again, jigsaw puzzle. Teams and squads win promotion, not individuals.
Dont always agree with the optimistic outlook of HCFCscarb but he is spot on about Brucie's credentials - he knows exactly what it takes to take a team up to the top flight - he is the first manager we've ever had who you could say that about.”
by gassetta
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 2:26PM
“get the sand ordered, its donkey rides at the KC”
by SantiagoSam
Wednesday, June 27 2012, 6:16AM
“Heskey would be more use to HKR.”
by HCAFCscarb
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 10:50PM
“Vito and Josh King coming soon ???
That would be the icing on the cake IF true .”
by HCAFCscarb
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 8:59PM
“lol Ric , I did wonder why I got some nasty replies when I said both teams are called Glasgow why not just watch the other one
:-)
One of my best mates over the last 40 years and I use to laugh at how he is a catholic and goes to mass etc and how I'm a protestant.
How if we had lived in Ireland we would have been been knee capped for knocking about together..
As you say it goes back centuries .
Shame it has to carry on still.
Even now my female friend is a catholic so we would be in trouble.
Youl have to say you support Hull City Ric you might get a few sympathy pints.
:-)
You just take care same to your family.
Celtic fans seem to be over the moon about rangers going down to div 3.
I reckon it could make the SPL a waste of time.
:-)
I wouldn't have enjoyed TonyM getting his mum onto me when I was a lad.
A tough lady by the sound of it, If Tonys as tough as his mum was / is I best not call him a wum anymore !”
by HCAFCscarb
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 8:43PM
“Killer,
There could be alot of truth in
Your last post.
Which is a shame because the HDM use to do a cracking job at one time.”
by strummer1961
Tuesday, June 26 2012, 5:50PM
“HCAFCscarb.It would take a long time to go over everything that goes on up here,but as Tony has touched on,it goes far deeper than most realise.
My wife works in Bridgeton(a staunch protestant area of Glasgow) and 5 metres,or the width of the road to be precise,is Calton(a staunch Catholic area).Neighbours don't talk,kids and parents fight each other,Union Jacks fly in Bridgeton,Tri-colors(Eire flags) fly in Calton,kids don't grow up together at school because they go to differing ones,one side are brought up supporting Rangers the other side Celtic....That's just an example but it's far more widespread than that..
It is not un-common when applying for a job in Glasgow to be asked what School you went to,and the result of the interview is based on your answer,not your qualifications!!
It is also common-place to be asked in a pub,out of the blue,which team you support,my answer to that is usually F*** O** and mind your own business.
I discourage my children from wearing Football colours and discourage my wife from wearing anything with a Union Jack on it(Jumper etc).
The hatred stretches back as far as the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and the Orange parades bear testament to that,it's marching season up here at the moment and this continues throughout the summer months,infact the big one is due on the nearest Saturday to the 12th July.It is a spectacle to watch and I have many friends who walk in it but I have never got involved even though my Fathers family are staunch protestants.
Tony,I'm surprised your Grand-Father allowed your Mother to wear a Rangers scarve on the buses,it's like a red rag to a bull to some.A bit like Seaside encouraging Rangers fans to switch to Celtic LOL”