Hull City: Jacob Greaves development will surely only intensify Everton and Tottenham pursuit – View

Greaves’ participation in the Championship Team of the Season will only increase interest from Premier League clubs.
The Championship’s ‘Team of the Season’ was unveiled on Sunday night, and as is customary, some of the selections were contentious.

That couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Hull City’s Jacob Greaves, who has shone for the Tigers throughout the years but has been a crucial asset for Liam Rosenior during a season in which the team has flirted with the play-offs for several months.

Greaves has also distinguished himself from a number of colleagues during a period when the overall performance of the squad has been inconsistent, but as has been the case since the club’s establishment in League One, the Hull-born star’s central defensive partnership with Alfie Jones continues to thrive.

Jacob Greaves’ selection to the Championship Team of the Season
Ultimately, the 23-year-old has been the proverbial ‘Rolls-Royce’ centre-back for City this season, despite the fact that the club has only kept 10 clean sheets in 41 Championship games.

Greaves is the highest-performing center-back on average, even outperforming Jannik Vestergaard and Wout Faes.

and Joe Rodon. The 7.31 average rating also places him as Hull’s joint-best performer alongside Jaden Philogene, but many would argue that Greaves has been considerably more consistent than his attacking counterpart, who was also injured for two months.

Indeed, the defender’s inclusion in the ‘Team of the Season’ on Sunday evening capped off a remarkable four-season stint in which he won the club’s ‘Young Player of the Year’ award for three consecutive seasons, playing with great composure, maturity, and leadership along the way, with two of those facets on full display in defeats to Stoke and Leeds, during which he was serving a two-game suspension.

“I feel like my progression this year has been quite prominent,” Greaves told official club media.

after his nomination. “I feel like I’ve gone from a boy to a man.”
“Under the gaffer (Liam Rosenior) I feel like I’ve developed within myself and put in some proper performances, stood up and been counted,” Greaves added.
Two performances stand out from Greaves this season
As the defender alluded to, his string of consistent performances led to the nomination, but there are two performances in particular from the 23-year-old that shine above the rest.

 

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐥! 🧱

What a season our Jacob has had! 🙌#hcafc pic.twitter.com/eOeJ8VRrt2

— Hull City (@HullCity) April 14, 2024

The first of those came in the 2-1 away win at Huddersfield Town on February 17th, where the centre-back grabbed the limelight for two goals – the last of which came in the 95th minute – alongside a faultless defensive display once more, which included success in 16 of his 17 aerial duels at the John Smith’s Stadium – resulting in a 9.5 match rating. Furthermore, his defensive ability shone through in the goalless draw away to Preston just weeks later, earning rave reviews for another immaculate performance at the back, winning 20 of his 21 ground and aerial battles, eight clearances and two blocked shots – including a volley from Ali McCann in the second period.

And, although Hull are known as a side who build from the back, Greaves’ assist for Aaron Connolly in the 3-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers further echoes the ability he has with the ball at his feet, proven by an 89% pass accuracy percentage.

Hull City must brace themselves in the summer transfer window

Although City are still mathematically in contention for a play-off spot, their chances are dwindling at the moment.

As a result, Premier League fans should be circling Greaves once more, with Everton and Tottenham recently linked with the one-time Aston Villa target – with the 23-year-old a potentially more-than adequate replacement for the in-demand and now England international Jarrad Branthwaite, who is still being pursued by Manchester United.

Greaves is valued at €14 million (£11.95 million) on Transfermarkt, although Hull would be justified in demanding a larger cost, especially given Sunday night’s inclusion, demonstrating his ceiling is far higher than that of a Championship side in seventh place.

Fans would undoubtedly want to see him stay and gain promotion with a club that runs in his family – his father Mark was a cult legend at Boothferry Park in the late 1990s and early 2000s – but Jacob is demonstrating week after week that he is ready to make the move up to the top tier anyway.

The Tigers’ leadership will undoubtedly be salivating over a potential price, given that he is under contract at the MKM Stadium until June 2026.