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Tomas Kalas’ quest for Premier League football may continue at Hull City

By George Perry

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Tomas Kalas of Fulham FC (C), Evandro of Hull City (R) and Adama Diomande of Hull City (L) battle for possession during The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Fulham and Hull City at Craven Cottage on January 29, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 29: Tomas Kalas of Fulham FC (C), Evandro of Hull City (R) and Adama Diomande of Hull City (L) battle for possession during The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Fulham and Hull City at Craven Cottage on January 29, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /
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Hull City’s new manager Leonid Slutsky is considering a move for Chelsea’s serial loanee centre-back Tomas Kalas. The deal would land Kalas at his third Championship team in three seasons.

If not for the potential confusion with Chelsea’s starting right wing-back, Tomas Kalas could rightly take the nickname “Moses.” No matter what Kalas does, no matter how well he plays, no matter for whom he plays, he seems destined to always be peering into the Premier League promised land without ever stepping foot on a top flight pitch.

Hull City need to strengthen their squad for their first season back in the Championship. Between the relegation and the change in management, Hull will have significant turnover during the off-season. Centre-back starter Harry Maguire will likely be amongst the departing. Hull’s new manager, Leonid Slutsky, believes Tomas Kalas could be a long-term solution for the core of the Tiger’s defence.

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Kalas has not been linked with any Premier League clubs, including his parent club. He will almost certainly spend at least one more season in the Championship. Barring any interest from a Premier League side, Kalas should demand a permanent transfer to either Fulham or Hull City.

A third consecutive season on loan in the Championship will do nothing for Kalas. A third season in the Championship, under any circumstances, is not what he would consider ideal. Therefore, he at least needs the assurance that he has a path up and out. Only a transfer, not a loan, gives him that.

Chelsea have little reason to deny him. Kalas has one season remaining on his Chelsea contract. They will not want to lose him on a free transfer. Unless he somehow breaks into the squad during pre-season, he has no incentive to sign an extension nor does Chelsea have much reason to offer one. He will be well behind Chelsea’s raft of centre-backs on the depth chart. And he probably sees Nathan Ake’s second half of last season as yet another example of what can go wrong for a Chelsea loanee.

Kalas’ consistently high performances in the Championship indicate that he is a Premier League-calibre player. Given his distant chances of playing for Chelsea, his best opportunity may be to help a team earn promotion. He already did this once with Middlesbrough. Chelsea denied him the chance to stay at Boro and play 2016/17 in the top flight.

He came close to promotion with Fulham last season. The Cottagers finished sixth and lost to Reading in the promotion playoffs. Fulham have already expressed interest in extending Kalas’ stay, either for another year on loan or permanently.

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If Hull can stabilize their club’s internal dynamic, and that with the fans, they can contend for promotion within a few years. Fulham are already on the brink of a return. Tomas Kalas can help either club get over the hump. But he needs to know that he will get his reward of Premier League football for doing so.

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