Hull City chase Toni Fruk as £8‑10m battle heats up

Hull City are in active discussions to acquire 25‑year‑old Croatian midfielder Toni Fruk from HNK Rijeka, with the Premier League newcomers reportedly targeting a fee in the £8‑10 million range as they aim to boost creative options for their return to the top flight.

As first reported by TeamTalk, the Tigers remain firmly in the picture, with Hull City Transfer News: Toni Fruk Talks Continue Amid Ajax Interest. The club sees Fruk as a perfect fit for the creative role they need, given his reputation at Rijeka for vision, invention and attacking output. Manager Sergej Jakirovic, who worked with Fruk at Rijeka, believes the midfielder is a natural fit for the position.

Ajax and two other Premier League clubs have also registered interest, making the market competitive. Rijeka is expected to hold firm on a valuation of £8‑10 million, despite Fruk entering the final year of his contract. The competition raises the difficulty of negotiations for Hull.

“A deal is not as close as people are making out,” said a Rijeka insider, underscoring that talks remain at an early stage. The source emphasized that negotiations are still in their infancy.

Hull City’s recruitment plan is taking shape, with the club keen to add multiple new faces over the coming weeks. The Tigers aim to build a squad capable of survival in the Premier League after promotion.

Securing Fruk would give Hull a player who has 139 appearances and 32 goals for Rijeka, providing the creativity and goal threat needed to unlock deep defences. Matching the asking price and convincing the player that the Premier League is the right next step are the key hurdles.

For Fruk, a move would mean stepping up to the Premier League while respecting his current club, as he has pledged not to disrespect Rijeka. Rijeka would benefit from a substantial fee that reflects Fruk’s importance to the Croatian side.