"A big miss" - Hull City verdict on £10k-a-week star linked with Sheffield United reunion | OneFootball

FLW's Hull City fan pundit has been speaking on how big of a miss Regan Slater would be after being linked with a summer exit from the Tigers.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Regan Slater has become a staple of Hull City's midfield over the past five years after initially signing on loan under Grant McCann at the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

The Sheffield United academy graduate was then snapped up by the Tigers for an extremely nominal £50,000 fee - a sum which has become part of an extremely prominent chant among supporters at the MKM Stadium.

Slater continued to feature on a regular basis as a box-to-box midfielder under Shota Arveladze, Liam Rosenior and Tim Walter, with his versatile skill-set complimenting the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Ozan Tufan prior to their high-profile departures last summer, as well as featuring at right-back on occasions.

However, in recent weeks, the 25-year-old has found himself in and out of Ruben Selles' starting lineup as the former Reading boss looks to ensure the club's safety in the Championship before progressing forward next season.

With that in mind, FLW asked our resident City fan pundit, Ryan Frankish, whether he would be a big miss for the club as rumours of his long-term future begin to surface ahead of the summer.

It has recently been reported by SportsBoom that the man under contract in HU3 until next summer on an estimated £10k per-week wage, could consider his situation in East Yorkshire if the Tigers are relegated.

The publication revealed that his boyhood club - the Blades - alongside Derby County, Middlesbrough and Stoke City are all interested in striking a deal if such circumstances play out, with Chris Wilder - the man who gave Slater his professional debut at Bramall Lane - impressed with his versatility.

Frankish also praised his performance levels, and therefore described a departure as a concern for Hull.

"I think he'd be a very big miss to be honest," our fan pundit began. "I don't think he's easily replaceable.

"I think he's too versatile for his own good, and that's half the problem. Because, although he can play anywhere, he hasn't really stapled down a position anywhere.

"You'd most likely recognise him in the centre of midfield. But in the ranks we've got Alzate, Crooks, Puerta, Matazo - they're all better players than him on paper," Frankish claimed.

"I think he's a brilliant player to have on the bench. If Lewie Coyle got injured and Drameh was injured, he could slot in at right-back.

"If Joao Pedro, Kyle Joseph and Joe Gelhardt all of a sudden came up with a mystery illness, you could probably stick Regan Slater up top. You could put him anywhere.

"But in the same breath, he's not going to want to spend the rest of his career on Hull City's bench, wondering where he's going to be playing next.

"And, bearing in mind we paid £50,000 for him, it would also be pure profit if we could get £2m for him.

"I can see why it would work and why it would be a positive. It's also good for the player because he'd be getting more game-time. But, I think we'd miss him."

Regan Slater finds himself in intriguing circumstances amid Hull City exit talk

Slater has once again played a starting role for Hull this season, but despite his ability to cover plenty of ground in defensive and attacking areas, the midfielder has come in for criticism after missing plenty of golden opportunities in key encounters.

When at his best, the South Yorkshire native is a very safe pair of hands in the centre of the park and has established himself as a steady performer in the second tier, proven by his double scoop at the Tigers' end of season awards in 2023.

However, if his former side were to regain their Premier League status at the first time of asking, it would be completely understandable if Slater was to jump at the opportunity of playing in the top flight for the first time, despite Wilder having plenty of high-quality midfield options to choose from, such as Vini Souza, Ollie Arblaster and Sydie Peck.

If he was to end a three-year permanent association with Hull, it would remain to be seen just how much Selles would miss his services as talk surrounding a permanent deal for the aforementioned Puerta continues to linger, whilst January recruit, Matazo, continues to recover from a long-term ACL injury.