Hull City set to sign ex-Middlesbrough star | OneFootball

Matt Crooks could be making a return to the Championship

Former Middlesbrough and current Real Salt Lake midfielder Matt Crooks is undergoing a medical with Hull City ahead of a switch to the MKM Stadium.

That is according to James Hoggarth of BBC Radio Humberside and Barry Cooper of Hull Live, who have reported that the 30-year-old midfielder is set to join the club on a permanent basis from the MLS side, despite only making the move across the Atlantic from the Riverside Stadium last February.

Hull are currently inside the bottom three by virtue of goals scored, having found the back of the net five times fewer than Portsmouth - who are on the same points and goal difference tally - and new boss Ruben Selles is looking to make the necessary changes in his first transfer window in East Yorkshire in order to achieve City's short-term target, which is quite simply, remain in the Championship.

There had been plenty of talk regarding potential incomings and outgoings, even prior to the opening of the January window last week, but Crooks looks set to become the Spaniard's first signing in charge of the Tigers.

As referenced above, James Hoggarth of BBC Radio Humberside initially broke the news regarding developments involving Crooks, stating that the former Middlesbrough, Rangers and Rotherham United man is currently undergoing a medical ahead of completing a potential deal with Hull.

Such goings-on have also been relayed by Barry Cooper of Hull Live, with a report stating that the experienced attacking midfielder will become the first signing of what is a pivotal window for the East Yorkshire side on a two-and-a-half year deal as terms were struck over the course of the weekend after lengthy discussions between the respective parties.

This comes just 11 months after Crooks left the English game to move to Utah on a three-year contract after Middlesbrough agreed an undisclosed fee with the MLS side, for whom he has made 33 appearances for and netted four goals.

Matt Crooks would be a smart addition for Hull City

Given Hull's current predicament, the addition of Crooks cannot be sniffed at, as the midfielder will add plenty of creative spark and nous to the side who are the joint-second lowest scorers in the division with a tally of 25, as well as creating just 1.8 big chances per game - of which 1.3 have been missed on average.

Chris Wilder and Michael Carrick in particular.

He found the net on seven occasions, despite making just 18 starts in the Championship as Boro reached the play-off semi-finals, which was a continuation of the strong form showcased in large parts of the 2021/22 campaign after joining from the New York Stadium, as he accumulated 10 goals and two assists.

On top of this, Crooks also registered a total of 11 goal contributions in his last 27 appearances for the club last season, two of which were goals against Bolton Wanderers and Port Vale as the Reds made it to the EFL Cup's last four against Chelsea, as well as scoring an iconic goal at Old Trafford in February 2022 as Boro shocked Manchester United in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup, before losing to the West London outfit - this time in the quarter-finals.

Hull's midfielders, in particular, Regan Slater, have passed up some golden opportunities to add more goals from this area of the pitch, and Crooks will only add further quality to these ranks, as both Steven Alzate and Gustavo Puerta have also been two of City's strongest performers since Selles' arrival in mid-December.