Hull City chief makes honest admission about Keane Lewis Potter’s transfer move to Brentford

Following Acun Ilicali’s takeover of Hull City earlier this year, the Tigers are looking ahead to next season as a much more ambitious side. 

However, despite the higher expectations for the club, Hull were not able to keep hold of highly rated youngster Keane Lewis-Potter this summer as he joined Brentford in a £20 million deal.

Ilicali has previously stated his desire to keep the player suggesting that a £30 million bid wouldn’t be enough to make his side sell although it became clear that it was a move the player wanted to make.

Nevertheless, the club’s owner has admitted he still feels disappointed about the deal as he admitted to Hull Live: “Selling Keane was a transfer I would not have wanted to do.

“I said previously that I would not sell him for £30 million even if there was an offer.

“Of course, I was saying that if he wanted to be with us. Unfortunately, I had a meeting with him – he’s such a nice boy and he gave us positive feelings in that meeting – but his agent was in a mood that if he didn’t leave the club it would be the end of his life.

“He was disrespectful towards our club in the way he was talking, it made me want to see what Keane felt about it – I think he was controlled by his agent and wanted to leave, too.

“Of course, I would never go forward with players that don’t believe in us. I offered Keane a triple increase in his salary and I asked him to play one more year so that he could improve and in a stronger team, he could improve his talents more.”

Despite being disappointed, Ilicali is happy with the efforts made from his side and feels the move could be a mistake on the other side as he said: “He’s only 21 and if I was him, I would have given one more year to the club which is his hometown