Hull City’s pursuit of Gabriel Mec appeared to gather serious momentum just a few weeks ago. Reports in Brazil suggested the Grêmio teenager was close to completing a move to England.
Since then, however, the story has taken a very different direction. Fresh reporting from Brazil now indicates Hull City remain interested. However, the transfer is no longer viewed as being anywhere near as advanced as it once appeared.
What happened?
Earlier reports claimed Hull City had agreed a package worth around €20m (£17.2m). Mec was expected to sign a five-year contract after Grêmio accepted the proposal. Those claims were later challenged.
Local outlet Zero Hora revealed Hull’s only formal offer actually stood at €11.5m (£9.9m). There were bonuses capable of taking the package to €15m (£12.9m).
Grêmio immediately rejected those terms though. They insisted they would only consider negotiations for a fee much closer to €20m (£17.2m).
Interest remains
That does not mean Hull have walked away. According to both Zero Hora and now RTI Esporte, the Premier League club are preparing a second offer. This comes after seeing their opening bid rejected.
The expectation inside Grêmio, however, is that it will be difficult for Hull City to bridge the sizeable gap between their valuation and the Brazilian club’s demands.
Hull therefore face a decision over whether to significantly improve their proposal. This is necessary if Mec is to remain a realistic target.
More clubs waiting
The situation has also become a bit more complicated. Shakhtar Donetsk remain interested after previously failing to convince Mec to move to Ukraine. Meanwhile, reports now claim an unnamed Italian club has also entered the picture.
Grêmio are understood to welcome that growing competition. They believe additional interest strengthens their negotiating position and increases the chances of eventually receiving an offer close to their asking price.
For now, Hull remain very much involved. But after briefly appearing close to completion, the deal has slowed considerably, with both sides still some distance apart on valuation and fresh talks only expected in the coming days.
