Premier League club Hull City brought in four new players on Monday’s transfer deadline day, including Uruguay international striker Abel Hernandez from Italian side Palermo for “a club-record fee”.
The 24-year-old has signed a three-year contract with an option for a further year and is believed to have cost last season’s beaten FA Cup finalists around £9.5 million (Dh57.8m).
“Abel is a fantastic signing and highlights just how far the club has come in such a short space of time,” Hull manager Steve Bruce told the club website.
“He is an exciting talent and like myself, I’m sure the supporters can’t wait to see him in action.”
Hernandez, who played for Uruguay at this year’s World Cup, will fill the void created by Shane Long’s move to Southampton last month for a fee of around £12m.
Hernandez joined Palermo from Penarol in 2009. He spent five years with the Sicilian club and scored 14 goals last season as they were promoted from Serie B as champions.
The striker, who has scored seven goals in 14 international appearances, was joined at Hull hours later by his compatriot Gaston Ramirez, who signed on a season-long loan from Southampton.
Ramirez, who has 31 Uruguay caps, spent two seasons at Southampton after a £12m transfer from Bologna.
The 23-year-old made 50 appearances and scored eight goals for Saints, but was allowed to leave by new manager Ronald Koeman despite featuring at the recent World Cup.
“Gaston significantly improves our attacking options,” Bruce said.
“He is yet another quality addition as we look to build on what we achieved last season.”
The Uruguay duo were followed into the KC Stadium by West Ham United’s Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diame.
Diame, who knows the English game well, having enjoyed three seasons at Wigan Athletic before joining West Ham, is understood to have cost Hull around £3.5m and has signed a three-year contract.
Early on Tuesday morning, Hull also announced that they have signed France international winger Hatem Ben Arfa from Newcastle United on loan after he fell out of favour with manager Alan Pardew at St James’ Park.
“Hatem is a superb addition to the squad, and brings a lot of attacking flair,” said Bruce.
“We look forward to welcoming him to the club.”
The grand total spent in the summer window comfortably exceeds a new high of £800m and while the majority of that was spent by those chasing Champions League football, Hull made a serious statement of intent in the closing hours.
After his initial three moves, Bruce sprung a late surprise by making a move for the playmaker Ben Arfa, marginalised at Newcastle.
He was pictured high-fiving fans as he arrived at the club and, having secured an extension beyond the intitial 11pm deadline, Hull finalised the move..
“Thankfully everything has come together, but the one that has come in the last few hours was Ben Arfa,” Bruce told BBC Radio Five Live.
“Whatever’s happened at Newcastle has happened. He wants to come here and play and get his career kickstarted again.
“Hopefully I can bring the best out of him and we can reignite him.”
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