Toothless Tigers offer Nick Powell chance to claw back career

Hull City, 5/4 with Coral to be relegated, are hoping to land Manchester United’s Nick Powell on loan for the remainder of the season, in a bid to bolster their attacking options for a Premier League relegation dogfight.

The 20-year-old attacker is being offered the chance to revive his stuttering career by Tigers boss Steve Bruce after his loan stint at Leicester City was cut short. Bruce is aiming to strengthen his struggling squad, but is short on funds following a £40m spending spree on new signings last summer.

United’s Powell could provide the toothless Tigers with some much-needed threat going forward for the rest of the current campaign, as Bruce’s battling team sit in the division’s bottom three with only 16 games left to play.

Former Red Devils defender Bruce has used his connections at his past employers to secure deals for other previous Red Devils stars, including James Chester and Robbie Brady, and could look to Old Trafford again for Powell’s loan acquisition.

The England Under-21 international was released early from a season-long loan spell at the King Power Stadium, after making just three appearances for Nigel Pearson’s rock-bottom outfit.

Despite a lacklustre season so far from the former Crewe starlet, Bruce is reportedly willing to take a risk on Powell as his side fight to avoid the drop, believing he can get the United player back to his best form.

Promising Powell made a dream £6m move to the red half of Manchester in 2012, following a series of superb showings for Crewe, but he soon stumbled at Old Trafford. After making just 13 appearances for United, he was then loaned out to Wigan Athletic and Nigel Pearson’s Foxes.

However, Bruce will hope the young attacker can regain form and keep the Tigers in the top flight, with current strikers Nikica Jelavic and Abel Hernandez also returning to fitness after troublesome injuries.