Hull City Plans Six-Man Overhaul as Wahi Snubs Move
Hull City’s return to the Premier League is starting to look less like a gentle step up and more like a full-scale rebuild.
Club correspondent Barry Cooper reports that the Tigers are weighing up as many as six more signings before the window closes, with the hierarchy ready to reshape Sergej Jakirovic’s squad from back to front. The plan is clear: a new goalkeeper, a midfielder, a winger and at least two forwards are on the shopping list, with Fiorentina defender Niccolo Fortini already in the frame as one of the headline arrivals.
Fortini, currently on the books at Fiorentina, is the most advanced of Hull’s moves. Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio says City have a “serious” interest in the 21-year-old and are in talks over a loan deal that would include an option to buy. Sections of the Italian press even claim an agreement is “close”, underlining just how aggressive Hull intend to be in this market.
Wahi turns Hull down as Nice return beckons
Not every pursuit is going their way.
Eintracht Frankfurt forward Elye Wahi has rejected the chance to join Hull this summer, according to reports from Germany and France. The 23-year-old, who cost Frankfurt around £25million when he arrived from Marseille in January 2025, has struggled to ignite in the Bundesliga, scoring just once in 25 outings for The Eagles.
His loan spell at Nice last season told a different story. Nine goals in 19 Ligue 1 appearances dragged the French club to safety and restored his reputation as one of Europe’s sharp young forwards. It is that spell which appears to be guiding his next move, with L’Equipe reporting that Wahi is prioritising a return to Nice despite interest from Hull and Lazio.
For Jakirovic and the City recruitment team, it is a setback, but not a show-stopper. The search for firepower goes on.
Nakamura, Hernandez and a widening net
Attention has swung firmly back to the wings.
From France, Foot Mercato claim that Hull have added Reims’ Keito Nakamura and Deportivo La Coruna’s Yeremay Hernandez to their attacking shortlist. The pair are valued at a combined £31m, underlining the level Hull are now shopping at.
Nakamura, a lively wide man for Reims, is understood to have already been the subject of contact from Hull with his representatives, as City look to inject pace and direct running into their front line. Hernandez, meanwhile, has been catching the eye in La Liga with Deportivo, and would add another creative option out wide if a deal can be struck.
If either arrives, they would join Fortini in a wave of new faces aimed at giving Jakirovic more variety and threat in the final third.
Toure interest grows as Porto circle
The Tigers’ hunt for forwards is not stopping there.
Hull have reportedly joined the chase for Norwich City’s Mohamed Toure, with journalist Rudi Galetti claiming that Porto are also in the mix for the Australia international. City are exploring a deal to bolster their forward line, and Toure has emerged as a serious candidate.
With competition from a Champions League regular in Porto, Hull face a fight to convince the 20-year-old that his next step should come at the MKM Stadium. But his profile – young, mobile, with room to grow – fits the model the club are building around.
Njinmah on the radar amid crowded field
On the continent, Hull’s name keeps surfacing.
Sport Bild report that Werder Bremen’s Justin Njinmah is another winger drawing interest from the Tigers. The 25-year-old is also being tracked by Fiorentina, Southampton and Marseille, with no firm price tag yet attached to his signature.
The level of competition tells its own story. Hull are operating in markets where established European clubs are circling the same targets, a sign of both ambition and the difficulty of getting deals over the line.
Holmgren Pedersen bid rebuffed
At the back, City’s intent has already been tested.
Barry Cooper reports that Torino’s Marcus Holmgren Pedersen has emerged as a key target, with Hull seeing a €5m (£4.3m) offer turned down for the Norway international. The right-back, who starred for his country at the World Cup earlier this summer, has been identified as central to Jakirovic’s plans for the Premier League campaign.
Torino’s rejection underlines how hard Hull may have to push if they want to land him. But the club’s willingness to bid early and firmly suggests they are not window-shopping.
Six more signings. A rebuilt attack. A new-look defence. Hull City have laid out their intentions; the only question now is how many of these ambitious moves they can turn into reality before the window slams shut.
