Goalkeeper Ryan Allsop closing in on Hull City exit as deal agreed

Hull City goalkeeper Ryan Allsop has been offered a way out of the MKM Stadium with League One promotion favourites Birmingham City close to clinching a move for the second city-born stopper.

Allsop, who celebrated his birthday on Monday, arrived from Cardiff City last summer in a deal worth around £200,000, was one of Liam Rosenior's major transfer targets 12 months ago and quickly established himself as the club's number one ahead of Matt Ingram.

The 32-year-old played 37 times for City as the Tigers narrowly missed out on a place in the Championship's play-offs, but Allsop's form created friction between Rosenior and owner Acun Ilicali after the arrival of Ivor Pandur in January.

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Pandur arrived from Fortuna Sittard in a £1.5m deal but never once played a Championship game in the run-in, his only public outing coming in a friendly defeat to the Curacao national team during the warm-weather training trip to Antalya in March.

Speaking at a fans' event following Rosenior's departure, Ilicali explained how he felt Allsop should have been given a rest amid a poor run of form for both him and the team.

"I want our fans to understand something very clearly," Ilicali said on the subject of the goalkeepers following the appointment of Tim Walter. "Pandur played in the Dutch league for two seasons, all the games, and was so successful. The Dutch Premier League is on the same level as the Championship.

"We are talking about an Under-21 Croatian international who had two very successful seasons in the Dutch league. When we brought him I didn't say to Liam one time he should play. I never, never said, 'Liam, play Pandur.' No. I imagined he is our first choice but who is the best will play. It's always the coach's decision and the coach's responsibility."

Blues, who dropped to the third tier on the final day after City were beaten 1-0 at Plymouth Argyle who secured their survival, endured a disastrous campaign after sacking John Eustace with his side involved in the early season play-off race.

Wayne Rooney's short-lived tenure proved a nightmare, and then Tony Mowbray arrived to steady the ship before falling ill, with Gary Rowett eventually coming in on a short-term deal until the end of the season, but the experienced boss couldn't keep them up despite beating Norwich on the final day and have since appointed Chris Davies as the new manager after Mowbray eventually resigned.

Following their relegation, experienced stopper John Ruddy is yet to agree terms on a new deal at St Andrew's and Neil Etheridge was released at the end of the season, leaving Birmingham without a recognised number one, and Allsop is a player they want and are on the verge of agreeing terms for. It's understood City would not stand in Allsop's way and are happy to sanction his exit with official confirmation due soon, sources have told Hull Live.