Hull City sell Pandur and Shehu to avoid Premier League points deduction
Hull City have avoided a potential Premier League points deduction by completing the late sales of goalkeeper Ivor Pandur and midfielder Aidon Shehu just hours before the financial deadline on Tuesday.
The Tigers secured their return to the top flight in May after recording a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final.
That promotion guaranteed the East Yorkshire club a lucrative financial windfall of approximately £200m.
However, strict profit and sustainability regulations forced the newly promoted side into rapid outgoing business before the 30 June accounting cutoff.
Scrambling to meet financial rules
English Football League regulations cap Championship losses at £39m over a rolling three-year cycle.
The club faced a £6m overspend heading into the new campaign, risking a damaging penalty of up to six points in their upcoming top-tier season.
Because only net profit on transfers counts towards erasing this deficit, executives were forced to act quickly.
Late deals secure top-flight safety
On Tuesday evening, the club confirmed their first-choice goalkeeper had joined Scottish Premiership side Rangers in a £6m transfer.
The 26-year-old shot-stopper proved crucial last term, winning three player of the year awards following his £1.5m arrival from Fortuna Sittard in January 2024.
By Wednesday morning, the departures continued as Shehu completed a reported £2.5m move to Greek heavyweights Panathinaikos.
The 19-year-old Albania Under-21 international never made a senior appearance for his parent club, spending the latter stages of last season on loan at Scarborough Athletic.
His exit represents pure profit on the balance sheet, having arrived from Southend United for nominal compensation two years ago.
New era of squad cost rules
Combined, the two departures generated roughly £7m in profit, offsetting the late collapse of a £5m deal sending Kyle Joseph to Middlesbrough due to administrative delays.
Financial constraints previously blocked incoming summer signings, but recruitment activity is now expected to accelerate immediately.
Going forward, the controversial profit and sustainability framework will be replaced by a new squad cost ratio system across the division.
This updated model evaluates finances annually, permitting teams to spend up to 85% of their generated income on playing staff.