Hull City chief Acun Ilicali makes Jaden Philogene transfer admission amid Barcelona links

Owner Acun Ilicali says Hull City will not stand in Jaden Philogene's way should he wish to leave the club. Spanish giants Barcelona, Everton and West Ham United have all been linked with the talismanic forward since the summer transfer window reopened.

Barcelona reportedly want the 22-year-old on an initial season-long loan deal but with an obligation to buy in 2025, depending on the number of minutes he plays next season. The purchase clause is said to be around the €23m mark.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Ilicali admitted that the speculation surrounding Philogene's future "is true". The Turkish businessman said: "Of course, if you ask me, I told my fans that I would sell nobody. My idea in football is not to make money, my idea is to make a strong and bigger club.

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“But to make a bigger club, sometimes if a player says I want to go, that's a different case. For me, if one player changes, it's not the end of the road.

“But if any of my players, I will never want to ruin their career or their mood because by pushing them because there is a contract. If Jaden wants to move and says he wants to go somewhere, this is something we cannot do too much because this is his life.

“I love all of my boys. For me, their life and career, I am responsible too. If they don't want to play with us, they don't want to play with us.”

Philogene sparkled in his first year at the MKM Stadium after arriving in a £5m deal from Aston Villa, scoring 12 goals and recording six assists in 33 matches as City narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs.