Pearson is hoping to trim around £9million from City's annual wage bill to prevent the club plunging into serious financial difficulty.

This month's transfer window provides a good opportunity to offload a number of fringe players but Pearson concedes that is easier said than done.

Pearson told the club's website, www.hullcityafc.net: "I would like to know we are going to get some players out, but even when we have found players moves over the last few days, they have been reluctant to leave.

"They enjoy being at Hull City, their deals and packages are obviously good.

"We will continue to work on them and hopefully one or two will see the opportunities there for them and decide.

"We are working hard to move players out because we do do have probably six to nine players too many."

Hull were virtually debt-free when they won promotion to the top flight in 2008 but their spending since, in attempting to compete in the Barclays Premier League, has been damaging.

Pearson was brought in by the club's owners in October in an attempt to arrest the situation.

He added: "The club is significantly overpaying on its wage bill and has been significantly overpaying on agents' fees in the past year with big bills still to pay.

"We still have £2.5million in agents' fees to find and the club just can't afford that.

"We need to move players out and get the wage bill down because if we don't we are into difficulties and that is not what anybody wants for this club."

Out-of-favour striker Daniel Cousin, currently with Gabon for the African Nations Cup, looks likely to be one of the first to leave with a loan move to QPR close to finalisation.

The situation means incoming transfers will be limited and probably take the form of loans.

Hull would like to sign a striker but, having missed out on Manchester City's Felipe Caicedo, targets will have to be modest.

Pearson said: "Felipe Caicedo was someone we were interested in but he has decided to go to Malaga.

"That was disappointing but we have got other irons in the fire. They are not going to be big star, big names because that is not the financial market this club is in. We have to reduce costs."