Hull City's stance as Tigers face crucial few weeks in bid to avoid penalty

Hull City are working hard behind the scenes to try and ensure they do not fall foul of Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules before the end of June, despite promotion to the Premier League being worth more than £200m.

City are preparing for their first season in the top flight next season, and are preparing for an exciting summer of recruitment ahead of the big kick-off in mid-August, but before that, they have some housekeeping to take care of.

The Tigers must secure player sales believed to be in the region of £6m prior to the end of the current three-year reporting period, with Acun Ilicali confirming there was work to do.

City's owner cut a fairly relaxed figure when talking about the need to move players on over the next three weeks, with Jared Dublin and Martin Hodge tasked with trying to get business done.

Should City be in the dock for breaching profit and sustainability rules, then they would be punished, which could see them start the new season in the top flight with a points deduction. Clearly, that would be a nightmare for a newly-promoted team, so the pressure is on, though Phil Brown felt it could be used as a positive.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest Hull City news and analysis on our Hull Live FB page

"We have overspent, and we have to sell some players before July 1," the Tigers owner said. "I don't say that it will be very easy or very hard. Now we are a Premier League team, the values (of players) has raised up which is a good advantage. We have some players that know they will not be able to play with us.

"Now we will work on that and solve this problem. It's a new task, and we will manage it. I'm not afraid. We have managed harder things. For us, this is more manageable."

The Tigers may also look to move on other members of the first team squad, like David Akintola, who wasn't registered in Sergej Jakirovic's squad in the second half of the season, and those who Jakirovic doesn't believe will be part of his squad in the Premier League.

City will be keen to avoid being forced into a situation where they have to sell a first-team star in a bid to fall within the rules, especially at a time when there should be significant excitement about preparing for life in the top flight, and the influx of new players from July onwards.

Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.