HULL CITY: Will Doncaster's Billy Sharp fit the bill for Tigers? HULL City could enter the race to sign Doncaster Rovers hitman Billy Sharp – with suggestions the striker is keen on a move to the KC Stadium. The 25-year-old is one of the Championship's most highly-rated front-men, with a queue of clubs expected to bid for him when the transfer window opens next week. Southampton, Leicester and Premier League Wigan are all thought to be lining up bids for his services. However, sources have told the Mail Sharp's representatives have already approached City to let them know he would be interested in a move to East Yorkshire. The news comes as caretaker boss Nicky Barmby and head of football Adam Pearson finalise their list of January transfer targets. They already have a pledge from owners Assem and Ehab Allam to back them financially for a serious promotion push in the new year. The Allams have also told the Mail they are willing to invest in a 'Premier League quality striker' as City look to claim a play-off spot at least. With the Tigers riding high in the Championship, fans are keen to see an established goal poacher added to the ranks. However, despite Sharp's interest, the Mail understands City are not yet fully convinced the former Scunthorpe and Sheffield United man fits into their current style of play, with a striker often effectively left to forage on his own up front. Doncaster appear keen to cash in on the current demand for their man, despite him having netted nine goals this season in 16 games. Chairman John Ryan recently chose to clarify Sharp's availability in January, but despite repeated talk of a £3m buy-out clause in Sharp's deal, the Mail has been told an offer closer to £2m may be enough. City could prove the most attractive option to both Sharp and Doncaster given their current circumstances. Sharp has already turned down a chance to move to Premier League chasing Southampton once in the summer. They met Rovers' valuation but Sharp himself decided to remain at the Keepmoat Stadium, where he insists he remains happy, despite their ongoing battle against relegation. And given the tragic loss of his two-day-old son Luey Jacob, who died in October, a long-distance move from his South Yorkshire roots may not be one he wants to make. Premier League Wigan could be a tempting offer for Sharp, although their precarious position in the Premier League may work against them. http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/story-14267745-detail/story.html
Without meaning to sound negative, I'd say the other teams can offer him more than us. Wigan are premier league (even if for now) Leicester would pay more in wages. Southampton would be more on our level but i'm sure he would chose them given the league position and team.
Just to add on the positives of Hull City moving for him, we are the closest to Donny, which is a good thing considering the fact that he doesn't want to move too far away from Doncaster
There are tons of teams in for him, but we do have a few things in our favour, stability he is not going to get jolted out after 6 months if he doesn't peform i.e Leicester, we are fairly close to him and i am sure we can afford some form of pay rise. However it is unlikely that we will be in for him i suspect as no doubt his price will get pushed up the more clubs come in for him. I would love him at the club but i think it is a doubt he would come.
Player power could push this through for us. He won't be pressured into any move by Donny due to his personal problems, I can see us getting him if we offer £2M. We are in a good position to get some decent signings in at the minute. Well known and respected manager, good footballing team, well placed in the league, stability off the pitch all with the possibility of this group of youngsters forming the spine of our team for a good few years.
i think it says alot about our local rag when they publish such a 'scoop' and nobody believes a word. The sooner this poor attempt at a local institution melts into the ether of the also-rans, the better for the City of Hull!
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....n-faces-race/story-14268315-detail/story.html Its looks like we have Offered 3M so the 2M wont be enough and we would offer him 20K a week
Sometimes a player, who even at city will earn a very nice salary, decides that they want to stay in a certain area, even if they can get more money elsewhere. I am sure his better half, after the trauma they have had, probably wants to stay where they are living at the moment. Also to go to a EPL club very often means sitting on the bench, if the player has not come up with a promoted team, and maybe he just wants to play week in week out. Anyhow time will tell.
But it says he wants to stay in yorkshire and he has ambitions of playing in the Prem, so you're definitely out of the equation.
Money may not be everything to him, he may not want to play for a team which employs negative tactics. Fryatt is playing a lot better these days under Barmby's managership, than he was under Nigel.
It's the same frigging 'newspaper' with a different mast-head; so it's likely to be a shared story-line, slanted for home consumption.
its also interesting that when the Leicestan equivalent of our local chip paper runs a similar story to ours, apparently they believe it without question! Are they simply more gullible down there as they are taught to blindly believe all they read, or do they just eat more chips in Leicestan than in Hull
There are players out there who are not motivated by cash. What prospects does anyone have if they sign for Leicester or Man City?? If there not a world class player at Man City then they'll be sat on the bench if there lucky getting minor cup appearances or the odd Prem sub. At Leicester they may be used to TRY and achieve promotion to the Prem, if they do go up they'll be cast aside for proven Prem quality, if they fail to get promoted they'll be sold as they were not good enough to get the club promotion. We are building a decent squad who ALL want the same thing as a TEAM, and as a CLUB on and off the pitch. Players can see that and it means a hell of a lot more than a bag of cash to some. Billy Sharp's outlook on things will be a bit different to all the other cash hunting players out there I would think.
Just supposing Sharp did sign for us.....what would be the responses of those Lesta fans who post on here? Interesting....!!!