The transfer window is 'season-defining' for Hull

What do Hull need?

Goals, goals, goals - it's that simple. Hull are among the lowest scorers in the Championship and their leading scorer has four goals.

They need strikers of quality but they're often near impossible to find in January, especially for a team looking to fight off the threat of relegation.

Are they likely to do any business?

Owner Acun Ilicali and sporting director Jared Dublin both recently indicated that new boss Ruben Selles would be backed so expect some movement, but they'll have to try to move on some of the players who aren't fitting in with what they're wanting to do. Again, that's easier said than done.

Despite an agreement in place with Reading after tempting Selles away, might the financially-troubled Berkshire club be tempted to part with the likes of Lewis Wing or Harvey Knibbs if the price is right?

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

Depends on your definition of success. They signed the likes of Fabio Carvalho on-loan from Liverpool last season and he was a key figure with nine goals in his 20 appearances in the run-in to a campaign that saw them finish just one place outside the play-offs.

However, that wasn't enough to keep then-boss Liam Rosenior in a job and the decline since then has been well-documented with the knock-on effect immeasurable.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

There may have been under Tim Walter, who had seemingly not endeared himself to some of the bigger characters and influential figures at the club, but as he is no longer there, that seems unlikely now.

That said, the summer recruitment wasn't near good enough and they'll have to try to offload some of the players who aren't getting it done in an attempt to free up budget and squad space for a January recruitment effort that is badly needed.

How key is the window?

Season-defining. They're in a perilous position and after going so long without a win before their pre-Christmas victory over Swansea, the Tigers are facing a predicament similar to the one they found themselves in at the back end of the 2019-20 season when they were relegated to League One.

Then, under the previous ownership, the finances were managed in a way that was ultimately sustainable and they got back up at the first time of asking.

With the often extravagant expenditure under Ilicali, a lot of it on failed transfer activity, the fallout could be far more grim if they were to drop to the third tier for a second time in five years.