Hull manager Phil Brown remains hopeful of re-signing crowd favourite Fraizer Campbell before the start of the Barclays Premier League campaign.

The 20-year-old striker scored 15 goals as the Tigers secured promotion to the top flight during a successful loan spell from Manchester United last season.

Campbell is now back in pre-season training with United, and featured in a friendly at Aberdeen last weekend, but Brown is keen to open discussions with the champions after their upcoming tour of South Africa. He said: "I spoke at length with Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of the season, having kept him up to speed with the progress Fraizer Campbell had made all season.

"He was adamant that all his players would come back for pre-season training. When they come back from South Africa there is an opportunity to talk again. I fully trust Sir Alex's word on that and when they come back from South Africa I will be putting a call in. There is always a possibility."

Campbell is likely to command a fee of around £5million and other clubs, including Aston Villa, have also been linked with the youngster. It is unclear whether United would sell but such a priority is he that Brown would also be interested in bringing the player back to the KC Stadium on another loan deal.

"He is very, very important to me, and that we get the right quality strikers in," Brown added. "It is difficult. There are one or two strikers out there we have earmarked as priority but if Fraizer Campbell became available we would certainly be interested in taking him, either permanent or on loan."