Hull City owner Acun Ilicali may have hinted that Jaden Philogene could leave the club.
The 22-year-old, who shocked the world with his Rabona goal last season, is said to be considering a big move to Barcelona this summer.
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As The Pitch Prospect has learned, in addition to the Spanish top club, West Ham and Everton are also said to be interested in the winger.
But keeping the young player could be difficult for the Tigers, who signed him from Aston Villa in the summer of 2023.
Speaking to The Pitch Prospect, Hull City president Acun admitted he would never stand in the way of anyone asking him to leave the club.
When asked if Barca was really interested in Philogene, Acun replied: “Yes, that’s all true. But I told my fans that I will not sign anyone.”
“My idea in football is not to make money, my idea is to build a stronger and bigger club. But building a bigger club is sometimes a different matter when a player says: ‘I want to leave.’
“For me, a player transfer is not the end of the world. But I would never want my players to limit their careers or their transfers because of a contract I have.
“So in this case, if Jaden wants to move and says he wants to go somewhere, there’s not much we can do because it’s his life.
“I love all my boys, I’m responsible for their careers. So they don’t have to play with us if they don’t want to play with us.”
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Philogene had a good season at Hull, although the team narrowly missed out on a play-off place in the Championship.
The youngster played 32 league games, scoring twelve goals and providing six assists, including his stunning rabona against Rotherham that went viral around the world.
But after the Tigers missed out on promotion, the club is now struggling to retain its top players – including Philogene – while coach Liam Rosenior has been sacked.
Everton and West Ham are keen to strengthen their attack this summer after both had difficult experiences in front of goal this season.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are said to have already made an offer to the former Aston Villa star after closely monitoring the striker.