Hull hoping Samuel Eto’o can be their Christophe Dugarry

As the joint-lowest scorers and owners of the joint-worst defence, Hull City have problems at both ends of the pitch. But if reports are to be believed, boss Mike Phelan could bring about a major boost in attack.

Samuel Eto’o has been linked with a surprise move to Humberside, as the Tigers seek extra firepower.

Midfielder Robert Snodgrass is the club’s top scorer this term on nine, while centre-half Michael Dawson is next up on four.

With just five goals coming from Hull’s recognised forwards, Phelan will be hoping 35-year-old Eto’o can still go the business in the Premier League.

And the club have plenty of inspiration to believe a January move can come good.

We’ve taken a trip down memory lane at Ladbrokes News and recalled these starring mid-season arrivals…

Christophe Dugarry

The original January success. Birmingham City needed a saviour to avoid relegation in the 2002-03 campaign, and manager Steve Bruce found one.

Dugarry was never a prolific scorer, but he brought calmness and quality to the St Andrews’ front-line.

Five goals in half a season ensured the Blues stayed up, and cemented his place in Birmingham City folklore.

Clint Dempsey

Like Birmingham four years earlier, Fulham required major mid-season impetus to avoid the drop in 2006-07.

They looked across the Atlantic and found Clint Dempsey.

The American would go on to net 60 goals for the Cottagers, including the famous strike at home to Juventus in the Europa League semi-finals.

But none of that would ever have happened, had the forward not netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over Liverpool in 2007, keeping the Craven Cottage outfit in the Premier League.

Luis Suarez

Looking back, Liverpool’s £22m signing of Luis Suarez on January deadline day in 2011 should go down as one of the Premier League’s greatest deals.

We’ll ignore the fact the Reds landed Andy Carroll hours later for £35m, and highlight the Uruguayan’s impact.

Arriving to find the Anfield outfit struggling to hold down a top-10 spot under Kenny Dalglish, Suarez netted four times and supplied five assists in just 13 games.

Liverpool finished a steady sixth, and as we now know, Suarez went on to be quite a player.

Nicolas Anelka

This is the one Hull will hope to avoid replicating.

For all his quality, Anelka’s mid-season switch from Bolton to Chelsea in January 2008 was a slow starter.

The Frenchman netted just once in the Premier League, as too many draws saw them lose out to Manchester United in the title race.

And while everyone remembers John Terry’s slip in the Champions League final in Moscow, it was Anelka’s penalty which Edwin van der Sar saved.

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