HULL City have tested George Burley's resolve to hang on to David Prutton by tabling an official bid for the midfielder.

The Echo understands Saints' Championship rivals are prepared to pay around £150,000 to £200,000 to land the player who was born in the Humberside city and whose family still live there.

"There is a bid on the table," confirmed Hull boss Phil Brown.

"We are waiting to hear if that bid has been accepted and then gain permission to speak to David".

Prutton, who arrived at Saints in the first ever January transfer window four years ago for £2.5m from Nottingham Forest, is out of contract at the end of the current season.

If he stayed at St Mary's until then he could walk away for nothing.

Saints boss George Burley told the Daily Echo on Tuesday that he was keen to retain Prutton, who has made just one start and three sub appearances this season after ankle surgery following the breakdown of a move to Leeds last summer.

But Brown claimed in his own local paper that Burley had told him Prutton was available - allowing Saints to make some money in the window and freeing up what is believed to be one of the higher earners from the wage bill.

"It's an ongoing process at the moment but at this stage I will keep the figures involved in-house and it will stay that way until something changes," Brown added.

Full story in today's Daily Echo.