HULL City are keeping a tight grip on their defender Jacob Greaves having knocked back a second bid from Middlesbrough.

The 21-year-old defender, who played in every minute of last season for the Tigers, has been the subject of interest from Boro with just one year remaining on his contract.

Hull are determined to keep hold of Greaves, who has just been made vice-captain over the club by manager Shota Averladze, and are locked in talks with the player’s representatives over renewing his current deal.

The club are hoping to avoid a repeat scenario of losing homegrown talent having seen Keane Lewis-Potter make the switch to Premier League side Brentford.

Boro held informal talks with club officials and put forward a potential offer to Hull last month. However, co-chairman Tan Kesler has confirmed to the BBC that a second proposal by Boro has been turned down for Greaves.

The left-footed Greaves has featured 90 times for the Tigers since coming through their academy and has also had a loan spell with Cheltenham Town in 2019 where he played 35 games.

Chris Wilder is keen to add a left-footed centre half to his squad before the end of the transfer window as he aims to put ‘round pegs in round holes’. Greaves is the prime candidate for Boro but the club may well be forced to shelve their interest after seeing a second bid rejected.

Greaves is yet to put pen-to-paper on an extension at the club but Hull City are keen to tie down a player they see as part of their long term future with the owners making an ambitious push towards the Premier League.

Co-Chairman Kesler told BBC Radio Humberside last month: “For Jacob as well, we are trying all our best to stay in touch with the FA in terms of Jacob to go to the national team regularly. In a way, lobbying and explaining, not that they need it but we are trying to get them promoted as much as possible as opposed to automatic bids from Premier League clubs.

“Jacob played all of our games but he wants to see himself at a certain level and we see him on a progressive level.”

Elsewhere, Boro manager Chris Wilder says the club are ‘down the line’ on a number of deals. The hope that he will have some new signings to pick from when they make the trip to Queens Park Rangers this weekend.