'Jesus Christ' - What ex-Everton scout has heard about Tim Iroegbunam is 'ridiculous'
Tim Iroegbunam should be careful about taking a move from Everton to Hull City this summer.
That is the opinion of former senior Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Tigers had reportedly come extremely close to signing the 23-year-old in a deal said to be worth over £15million.
However, David Moyes elected to start Iroegbunam in a pre-season friendly earlier this month against Stuttgart and he was forced off after just 19 minutes.
Subsequent scans have revealed that the former Aston Villa man is set for a number of weeks on the injury table, placing his move in serious doubt.
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic has since confirmed that the deal is not yet off the table, but that a decision must be made.
Tim Iroegbunam has 'plenty to prove'
Iroegbunam joined Everton in 2024, signing in a deal worth around £9m after he had made his breakthrough at Villa Park.
The midfielder spent much of his first season at Goodison Park injured, making just 21 appearances across all competitions.
But last season, Iroegbunam was far more involved and managed to catch the eye on several occasions.
One standout display came against Manchester City in May, when he seemed to make tackle after tackle in the middle of the pitch as the title-chasers were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw.
But with Iroegbunam having just one year remaining on his contract, with the option of an additional 12 months, a solution must be found this summer.
"He's still got plenty to prove as a regular Premier League player. A lot of hype around him. I'd be very wary going to Hull, to be honest," King told Football Insider.
"Leaving Everton and going to Hull? Blimey. No, I wouldn't. That'll be interesting to see whether Everton need the money.
"These two younger players, Iroegbunam, [Thierno] Barry. They're players that have been brought into the football club and Everton and the supporters are still waiting for them to show exactly what they can do.
"I'd be very surprised if all that goes through and at £15m. I mean, it seems ridiculous that these players are going for these kind of fees. [Djed] Spence and him, you know, £40m for the two. Jesus Christ.
"How the hell a Premier League club hasn't come in if that's the kind of figures that these clubs want. I'll tell you, if I'd have been a Brighton or a Bournemouth or these clubs, I'd have certainly gone for those two players."
What Sergej Jakirovic has said about Iroegbunam deal
Hull have already made a number of signings since their promotion was confirmed, and they continue to look for a new midfielder.
"It's difficult because Tim is injured.We agreed everything between Everton and the player, but in the last game he got an abductor [injury]," Jakirovic said this week.
"It's a minimum of six weeks so I don't know. Maybe, we will take another player because we need players right now. We don't have time.
"We will see, but what I want now is a new player in this position."