With seven points out of the last 15 available, the Tigers have come alive since Ruben Selles joined Hull City.
Portsmouth is now one point ahead of them going into January, putting them on the verge of leaving the bottom three.
Selles will first have to cope with the winter transfer market, and although he needs fresh players, one of his players has been linked to a move to Scotland in the early going.
That individual is Ryan Longman, who has reportedly drawn interest from Hearts, according to Hull Live. The Edinburgh-based team wants to capitalise on the fact that the winger only has six months left on his current Tigers contract.
Acun Ilicai does not want to leave his team shortchanged after numerous injuries, therefore Hull’s willingness to sell this month will depend on their ability to locate a suitable replacement for him.
Hull is advised to take advantage of Ryan Longman.
After making an impression on a brief loan from Brighton & Hove Albion in 2021–2022, Longman committed to Hull for the long run during that winter transfer window.
Since then, though, things haven’t quite gone as planned, as the 24-year-old has never been able to establish himself as a consistent starter in the starting lineup.
Due to injuries, he has only made nine appearances this season. Although Selles has given him opportunities, the Englishman might be looking for a fresh challenge in his career.
We asked Ryan Frankish, our resident Tigers analyst, what he thought the club should do with Longman this window in order to get a Hull City perspective on the subject.
“In terms of his abilities, Ryan Longman has fulfilled his role for us,” he stated.
Despite our wing shortage, I am confident that Acun and the brain team would consider the wings as their top recruitment target. Therefore, I don’t believe Ryan Longman would be playing much for the team after January, whether he remains or leaves.
“I would absolutely sell him right away, remove him from the wage bill, and get some cash back that could be used for a loanee’s salary or to fund the budget.
“Longman has been an excellent servant for us, in my opinion, but we are lacking in quality, and he regrettably falls into that category. On the other hand, we might be able to acquire some young players from the Premier League who are nimble, ravenous, and possess a little more vigour.”
Longman can leave Hull and start over.
Longman has never been a bad player for Hull, but it is hard to imagine his skill level rising to the point where they move up the league standings.
Furthermore, he will face Liam Millar and Mohamed Belloumi, two of the best Championship players in their respective eras, if he stays in Humberside after January.
It would appear that Longman’s best course of action is to look for a job this month, and a journey north of the border would help him rekindle his career.
