Bundesliga Clubs Stand Firm Against Hull and Ipswich's Pursuit of Mert Kömür and Exequiel Palacios

Two German Bundesliga clubs are demonstrating a strong stance by rejecting substantial offers from newly-promoted Premier League sides. FC Augsburg is holding firm against Hull City's attempts to sign Mert Kömür, while Bayer Leverkusen has dismissed a €20 million bid from Ipswich Town for Exequiel Palacios.

Hull City has reportedly submitted four proposals for Kömür. According to reports from Sky Germany and the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, their most recent offer amounted to €10 million guaranteed, with an additional €2 million in potential bonuses. However, this figure is still considered insufficient by FC Augsburg.

Meanwhile, Sport Bild indicates that Ipswich Town has made a €20 million offer for Palacios. Bayer Leverkusen has no intention of selling the Argentine international at this price, and are reportedly only willing to enter serious negotiations at around the €40 million mark.

Hull Reaches Agreement with Mert Kömür

Hull City's pursuit of Kömür has seen considerable progress on the player's side. Sky reports that the 21-year-old German U21 international has agreed personal terms with the Premier League club. Therefore, a transfer now hinges on Hull finding a financial package that can convince FC Augsburg to sell.

Earlier reports highlighted Hull's interest in Kömür and the player's openness to a move to England. Hull's initial offers, valued at €8 million and €9 million, were both rejected by Augsburg.

At the time, it was understood that Augsburg was seeking a guaranteed fee between €13 million and €14 million, along with achievable bonuses and a significant sell-on clause. The latest proposal of €10 million plus €2 million in bonuses indicates some movement from Hull, but Augsburg remains prepared to keep Kömür unless their valuation is met.

Augsburg's negotiating position is strong. Kömür signed a contract extending to 2029 last summer and has no release clause. The club also demonstrated their resolve when Beşiktaş unsuccessfully pursued Kömür in January, with the Turkish club eventually increasing its offer to €12 million without securing a sale.

Last season, Kömür featured in 28 Bundesliga matches, starting 18 of them, and contributed two goals and five assists.

Leverkusen Demands Significantly More for Palacios

Bayer Leverkusen finds itself in an equally strong negotiating position regarding Palacios. The 27-year-old returned to team training on Tuesday after an extended break following the World Cup and is expected to participate in Leverkusen's upcoming friendlies against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. However, his future remains uncertain.

Palacios extended his contract with Leverkusen until 2030 last autumn. Sport Bild notes that he has since changed representatives, and his new agency might seek a transfer. However, the midfielder himself has not communicated any desire to leave to Leverkusen. Despite this, Ipswich has tested Bayer's resolve with an official €20 million offer.

This figure falls considerably short of Leverkusen's valuation. The Bundesliga club is reportedly seeking approximately €40 million before considering a sale. Furthermore, Palacios is said to prefer a move to one of England's established top clubs if he were to depart Germany. This valuation aligns with Leverkusen's previous negotiating stance.

During the summer of 2025, reports indicated interest from Saudi club Al-Ahli in Palacios, at which point Leverkusen was reportedly demanding around €45 million.

Palacios has remained an important member of the squad, accumulating 185 competitive appearances during his six-and-a-half years at the BayArena. His standing within the club was recently highlighted when new signing Facundo Medina revealed that Palacios spoke highly of Leverkusen during their time together at the World Cup.