Hull City manager Liam Rosenior has dealt a blow to Premier League duo Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest by telling Hull Live that neither Jacob Greaves nor any of the Tigers stars are up for sale this summer.
A centre-half by trade, Greaves is proving this term that his is a bow of multiple strings. The Yorkshire-born defender has shone in a new-look left-back role, scoring four goals and setting up two more from his novel position.
That versatility is likely to be one of the reasons why he has so many admirers from the division above; the Daily Mail reporting that Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Brentford are keeping tabs on Greaves ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Hull academy graduate is valued at around £7 million. But, thanks to the backing of ambitious and affable Turkish millionaire Acun Ilicali, Hull are in a position where they can afford to bat away Premier League interest these days.
Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Brentford like Hull City’s Jacob Greaves
“I’m in constant communication, especially with Tan (Kesler, vice chairman) about where we go and what we look at. In terms of players we sell, that’s the nature (of football),” Rosenior explains.
“I’m not planning to sell anyone and nor is Tan. If an offer comes in, then that’s when you start to negotiate and see if it’s right for the club or not.”
There will, of course, be a figure that Hull simply cannot turn down. But, with a contract running through until the summer of 2026, Greaves will not be prised away from Humberside on the cheap.
Some of the brightest young talent in the Championship have departed for eight-figure sums in recent windows and Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest or Brentford may have to dip their hands deep into their pockets if they are to seriously twist Ilicali’s arm.
“It’s wonderful that a player who has come through our academy has been spoken about in this way,” former Derby coach Rosenior said last week. “I love it when my players are being linked with clubs higher up. It means they’re doing a good job. And it means the team is doing a good job.
“Jacob’s an outstanding player. Would I rather have him here from a footballing point of view? One hundred percent, because he’s got so much potential and so much to learn.”
“He is brilliant. He’s naturally an outstanding player. He’s got a lot of potential, he understands the game. We’ll see in the summer what comes of (the interest).”
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