The final move of the summer window sees a youngster arrive from Elland Road
Hull City have snapped up Leeds United midfielder Darko Gyabi in what is one of their final acts of a hectic summer transfer window for the Championship club.
At 6’5″ tall, the 21-year-old has penned a three-year contract at the MKM Stadium with the option of a fourth after City negotiated his release from Elland Road following a breakthrough in talks over the weekend.
The England Under-21 international was under contract in West Yorkshire until next summer, but was not part of Daniel Farke’s Whites, and so they have allowed him to leave.
It’s understood that as part of the deal, Leeds have negotiated a sell on clause that could be as high as 50 per cent of any future sale for a player that cost them £5m when he joined from Manchester City in 2022 as part of the deal which took Kalvin Phillips to the Etihad Stadium.
Gyabi had other offers on the table, including two from France, but he made clear his desire to join City after speaking to head coach Sergej Jakirovic.
Boss Jakirovic has been desperate to add to his midfield ranks during the summer window, having brought in John Lundstram, but has seen Gustavo Puerta return to Bayer Leverkusen, Reda Laalaoui’s move has not gone through and the influential Matt Crooks is currently sidelined with injury. “Darko is a very good player and I like what I’ve seen from him.” Jakirovic told Hull Live.”
Gyabi, who has played for England from Under-15 through to Under-21, came through the ranks at Cray Wanderers before heading to Millwall, and then he joined Manchester City in 2018, though he didn’t play a senior game.
His Premier League debut for Leeds following his switch across the Pennines in 2022, ironically, came against Pep Guardiola’s side in a 3-1 defeat, and he spent last season on loan in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle, playing 43 times at Home Park, including both games against the Tigers.
Across two spells in Devon, Gyabi has played 54 times in the Championship, along with a handful of FA and Carabao Cup ties so arrives at the MKM Stadium with a good base of second-tier experience.
Gyabi follows Joe Gelhardt in arriving from Leeds United this summer, and is the second youngster that came through the Manchester City academy after Joel Ndala.
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