Hull City Plans Major Squad Overhaul with Six New Signings

Hull City’s summer is about numbers. Big ones.

Six new signings are being lined up as the club gears up for its Premier League return, with our Hull correspondent Barry Cooper reporting that the Tigers want reinforcements right through the spine of Sergej Jakirovic’s squad.

The plan is bold: another goalkeeper, a midfielder, a winger and at least two forwards are on the recruitment list. One deal is already in motion. Fiorentina defender Niccolo Fortini is close to becoming the first through the door at the MKM Stadium, with talks over a loan that includes an option to buy described as “serious” in Italy.

Wahi says no as Hull look elsewhere up front

The search for goals has already hit its first setback.

Eintracht Frankfurt forward Elye Wahi has turned down the chance to join Hull this summer, according to reports in France relayed by Kieran King. The 23-year-old moved to Frankfurt from Marseille for £25m in January 2025 but has struggled badly in the Bundesliga, scoring just once in 25 appearances for The Eagles.

His loan spell at Nice last season told a different story. Nine goals in 19 Ligue 1 games, a key role in keeping the club in the French top flight, and a reminder of the talent that persuaded Frankfurt to spend big in the first place.

That form has shaped his thinking. L’Equipe report that Wahi is prioritising a return to Nice, despite interest from Hull and Serie A side Lazio. For the Tigers, it means one high-profile attacking option is off the table. The hunt goes on.

Nakamura, Hernandez and a growing French connection

Attention has swung firmly towards France.

Reims winger Keito Nakamura is high on Hull’s radar. Cooper understands City are keen on the Japan international as they look to add pace and end product out wide. French outlet Foot Mercato go further, claiming Hull have not only added Nakamura to their shortlist but have already made contact with his representatives.

Nakamura is not alone on that list. Deportivo La Coruna’s Yeremay Hernandez is also named as a target, with the pair reportedly worth a combined £31m. Hernandez, currently playing in La Liga, offers another wide option as Hull look to inject more creativity and direct running into Jakirovic’s attack.

The interest in Nakamura has been echoed in multiple reports, underlining how heavily Hull are scouting the French and Spanish markets as they reshape their forward line.

Toure and Njinmah in the frame

The Tigers are not limiting themselves to one league or one profile.

Norwich City’s Mohamed Toure has emerged as another forward target. Journalist Rudi Galetti reports that Hull have joined Porto in expressing an interest in the Australia international, with City exploring a deal to strengthen their attacking options. Toure’s mobility and versatility across the front line make him a logical fit for a squad that needs depth as much as star power.

From Germany, Werder Bremen’s Justin Njinmah is also on the radar. Sport Bild report that Hull are battling Fiorentina, Southampton and Marseille for the 25-year-old winger. No fee has yet been disclosed, but the level of competition around Njinmah underlines the type of market Hull are now shopping in: younger, upwardly mobile players with resale value and the athletic profile to handle Premier League intensity.

If City land even one of Toure or Njinmah, Jakirovic’s options out wide will look very different by the end of the window.

Pedersen pursuit shows Hull’s intent

It is not all about flair players.

Torino’s Marcus Holmgren Pedersen has been identified as a key target, with Cooper reporting that Hull have already seen a €5m (£4.3m) bid rejected. The Norway international, who impressed for his country at the World Cup earlier this summer, is primarily a right-back but brings the kind of energy and defensive aggression that Premier League survival campaigns are built on.

Torino have so far held firm, but Hull’s willingness to go early and go hard for Pedersen is a clear sign of intent. Jakirovic wants competition and reliability in the full-back areas, and the club’s recruitment team are treating the position as a priority rather than an afterthought.

A squad under construction

Taken together, the picture is clear.

Fortini from Fiorentina close. Nakamura and Hernandez tracked. Toure and Njinmah monitored. Pedersen pursued. Wahi rejected the approach, but the list of targets keeps growing, and so does the sense that Hull are trying to build not just a team to survive, but a squad that can run, press and hurt opponents in transition.

Six signings is the internal target. The market will decide how many actually arrive.

What is not in doubt is the scale of the rebuild. The MKM Stadium is braced for one of the most aggressive recruitment drives Hull have mounted in years – and the window is only just warming up.