Just when things looked more or less sorted out for Hull City with a new manager at the helm and the Tigers getting the points, a horrific injury to one of their main midfielders, Ryan Mason, has suddenly left a huge void to fill at the heart of the team.
Although Hull boss Marco Silva has been quite active in the January transfer window already bringing three new faces to the KCOM Stadium, this incident has really caught him off guard. And with only a week before the window closes, finding a potential replacement is a difficult task, especially when the transfer kitty isn’t very flexible.
The England midfielder, 25, clashed heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill during Hull’s defeat at Stamford Bridge. Although he is reportedly making ‘excellent progress’ at the moment, with a series of tough fixtures lined up for Hull City with the Tigers playing all the top teams in the next few fixtures, a reinforcement is quintessential.
And as per reports, The Tigers are eyeing a move for former Sunderland midfielder Yann M’Vila. The 26-year-old French international, who is currently playing in Russian side Rubin Kazan, reportedly has a £11million release clause in his contract. Landing him, however, won’t be an easy task for the Tigers as struggling Crystal Palace are already planning on activating it.
Touted by many to be a great player, M’Vila has never been able to reach his full potential and is still looking for his big season. This season he has managed only one 1 assist in 9 games in Premier Liga so far. But, a good look at the January shopping for Hull City indicates that they all have been flops in their respective clubs and the Portuguese boss is aiming at a fairy tale season to somehow make them work together.
M’Vila, however, has played in four different leagues in Europe and has been capped 22 times for the French national side since making his debut in 2011. His experience could be a huge asset for Hull.
He played 37 games for Sunderland last season, where he managed 1 goal and 5 assists. At 182cm, the midfielder is nicely built to take on the pressure of the Premier League and he is also good in winning aerial duels. A central midfielder by nature, M’Vila can play in an advanced role as well as the defensive role, as and when needed, and could provide a perfect cushion to Hull’s fragile backline.
