Hull City Faces Transfer Embargo Until January 2027 Over £1m Aston Villa Debt

Hull City has been placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL that will last for three transfer windows, preventing the club from signing players for fees until January 2027, due to a £1 million unpaid loan fee to Aston Villa for the loan of Louie Barry. Barry, who joined Hull in January 2025 but was sidelined by a season-ending injury after only four appearances, was the central figure in this financial dispute. Despite the embargo, Hull's owner Acun Ilicali has insisted the club does not have money issues and plans to appeal the sanction. The transfer ban complicates Hull’s summer transfer plans, including their interest in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien, with Wrexham emerging as a strong contender in that race. The embargo also follows similar sanctions on fellow Championship club Sheffield Wednesday, which faces multiple financial and transfer restrictions. Hull’s new head coach Sergej Jakirovic will face significant challenges in strengthening the squad due to these restrictions.