Premier League Team to Sign Ex-Man Utd Player in Possible Swap Deal
Let’s be honest – did anyone expect Hull City to win promotion to the Premier League last season? A volatile Championship club, you never really knew what to expect from them. Some years, they were battling relegation – in others, they were challenging for the playoffs.
Last year saw a campaign that fell into the latter category for them – now, they face the daunting prospect of staying in the Premier League. However, they have a few potential transfers in their sights that could bolster their position.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by transfers specialist Pete O’Rourke, Scottish giants Rangers have given ex-England goalkeeper Jack Butland ‘permission’ to travel down to Hull in order to complete a medical.
Interestingly, a similar transfer deal, going the other way, is also in the works. O’Rourke reported that Hull ‘keeper Ivor Pandur is in talks with Rangers, having already completed a medical during his international duty with Croatia at the 2026 World Cup.
Could we see a swap deal between the two goalkeepers? It seems likely at this juncture, but the nature of the two transfers have yet to be confirmed.
Hull are far from the most financially lucrative club in the Premier League ahead of the upcoming season. They could even face a points deduction, according to BBC Sport, based on their £6m overspending on profit and sustainability regulations. Therefore, they will need to be as shrewd as they possibly can be in the summer transfer window to avoid yet more financial irregularities.
On top of this, is this even a good deal in the first place? Is Butland an upgrade or a downgrade over existing ‘keeper Pandur? Let’s take a look.
Jack Butland 2025/26 Scottish Premiership stats
| Games | Conceded | Clean Sheets | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | |
| Jack Butland | 38 | 43 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
Butland had a strong start to the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership campaign, conceding just 11 goals in his first 13 outings, but things began to unravel for him a bit as the campaign progressed.
He only managed to keep one clean sheet in his last 14 league games of the season, coming against St. Mirren, who finished 11th in the league table.
An eccentric goalkeeper who can be prone to errors, he is capable of pulling off some spectacular saves on occasion. Furthermore, he boasts Premier League experience, having played for Stoke City and Crystal Palace in England’s top flight. He also spent a stint on loan at Manchester United, but was only used as a backup option.
Ivor Pandur 2025/26 Championship stats
| Games | Conceded | Clean Sheets | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | |
| Ivor Pandur | 45 | 65 | 11 | 8 | 0 |
At 26 years of age, Pandur is by far the younger of the two shot-stoppers, but that’s about as far as his advantages go over the Rangers man.
Keeping just 11 clean sheets in 45 Championship games last season, Butland exceeded this tally with fewer games played. By no means a poor goalkeeper, it is hard to call him a superior option than the 33-year-old at this stage of his career.
To his credit, he was excellent in the Championship playoffs, keeping three clean sheets across all three games – this might be something for Light Blues fans to hang onto.
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