Hull City have signed powerful central defender Nobel Mendy from Rayo Vallecano in a club-record deal believed to be worth more than £20m.
The deal sees City break their transfer record fee for the second time this summer having signed Konstantinos Tzolakis for £20m earlier this month.
Mendy has signed a five-year deal at the MKM Stadium, and joins the Tigers in time for their final outing of pre-season against Ligue 1 side Nice on Saturday.
The powerful Senegal international defender impressed last season, playing in Spain’s La Liga, and notched up 24 appearances during his loan spell from Real Betis, with his final one coming in the Conference League final defeat to Crystal Palace.
That move from Betis saw a clause which obligated Vallecano to make his move permanent this summer, with reports in Spain suggesting a deal of around 3.5m euros had been agreed. Under the terms of his move, Betis are understood to be due 20 per cent from a sell-on clause.
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Discussions with Rayo have been ongoing for some time, with the left-footed ace having made it clear he wanted to move to City and have a crack at the Premier League, and now, they’ve finally got their man after he was linked with a host of top-flight clubs earlier this summer.
“I am very happy to be here and very proud to be here as well,” Mendy said. “I am a very athletic player, and I am a defender at heart. I also really enjoy the game and coming out from the back cleanly and aggressively when needed. I have wanted to play in the Premier League since I was little, so it’s a great challenge to face and I am ready for it. This season is going to be a good season and we will all be in it together.”
City have been keen to add to their defensive ranks throughout the summer, and that desire has only become greater with the news that Charlie Hughes is set to miss the start of the season with his ongoing groin problem.
“He’s a left-footed centre back, quick, capable of playing in the right spaces, good on the ball, a lot of experience in the Spanish Primera Division,” Jakirovic told Hull Live when asked about what the defender will bring. At this level, he’s what we need.”
Mendy will be joined at City by Australian World Cup star Lucas Herrington, after his move from MLS club Colorado Rapids was sealed for a fee in the region of £13m.
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