Stoke snaps up Josh Tymon after youngster rejects new Hull deal

Stoke City signed 18-year-old Josh Tymon on Wednesday after the left-back rejected a first professional contract offer from Hull City.

Tymon also cancelled his scholarship deal with the Tigers a year early to join Stoke and has signed a five-year contract in the Potteries. A compensation package covered by Stoke will be agreed between the two clubs due to Tymon being developed by the Championship-bound Yorkshire outfit.

Tymon made his Premier League debut against Sunderland last November, and went on to make 11 professional appearances before the 2016-17 season concluded. Losing a player of Tymon's potential will undoubtedly irk Hull fans, which led vice-chairman Ehab Allam to defend the club's dealings in a statement released on Wednesday.

"The club is naturally disappointed to lose a homegrown product of its academy," said Allam. "We have met with Josh and his representatives on numerous occasions starting back in January 2016 with improved offers of a professional contract. I want to make clear that we have made offers significantly higher than the figures circulated by some media sources."

He added: "I believe he will one day be a full England international and I take pride in the work the club has done to make that possible."

Stoke supporters, meanwhile, will be hoping Mark Hughes is quietly assembling a talented, young generation at the Bet365 Stadium. Julien Ngoy, a 19-year-old Belgian forward, is emerging from the youth setup and apparently attracting interest from Monaco, and his compatriot Thibaud Verlinden is also exciting the coaches in Staffordshire.

Next season may see more opportunities for last summer's capture Ramadan Sobhi, 20, too.