Hull City have broken their transfer record to sign Senegal international defender Nobel Mendy from Rayo Vallecano on a five-year contract.
The 21-year-old centre-back has joined for an undisclosed fee, with Hull confirming the deal exceeds the £20m plus add-ons they paid Olympiacos for goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis earlier this month. The agreement also includes an option to extend Mendy’s contract by a further year.
The signing eclipses the previous club record of £13m, paid for Ryan Mason in 2016.
Mendy, who began his career with Paris FC, spent last season at Rayo Vallecano and made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice. His final outing came in the Conference League final, where Rayo were beaten by Crystal Palace.
The defender had also reached the competition’s final with Real Betis the previous season, only to lose to Chelsea.
“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.”
Mendy has made one appearance for Senegal, coming on against The Gambia in March.
The defender said playing in the Premier League had been an ambition since childhood and welcomed the opportunity to pursue that goal with Hull.
“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,” he said.
