Hull City have broken their club-record transfer fee for the second time this summer after signing Rayo Vallecano defender Nobel Mendy.
The 21-year-old left-back has agreed a five-year contract with the newly promoted Premier League club. Hull have not disclosed the fee, but it is understood to be higher than the reported £20m they paid for Konstantinos Tzolakis last week.
Mendy spent the 2025-26 season with Rayo Vallecano, making 28 appearances in all competitions and starting 23 of those matches. He finished second among the club’s players for aerial duels won, with 41, while only Florian Lejeune recorded more clearances than his 163.
The Senegalese defender becomes Hull’s eighth signing ahead of their first Premier League campaign since 2016-17. He said joining the club represented the fulfilment of a long-held ambition to play in England’s top division.
“I am very happy to be here and very proud to be here as well,” Mendy told Hull’s website.
“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.”
Mendy was an important part of the Rayo Vallecano side that reached the Conference League final last season. They were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace in the final.
Hull also confirmed the arrival of teenage Australia international Lucas Herrington on Wednesday, completing a double announcement.
Herrington made history at this summer’s World Cup by becoming the youngest player to start a knockout match for Australia in the competition. His afternoon ended in disappointment, however, after he struck the woodwork with the decisive penalty as Australia lost 4-2 on penalties to Egypt in the last 32.
The Tigers had already brought in Tzolakis, Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Matt Targett, Hidemasa, Jens Hjerto-Dahl and Elliot Stroud during a busy summer of recruitment.
Hull owner Acun Ilicali has been unusually open about the club’s transfer plans and has continued to offer clues about further business on social media.
Before Hull formally announced the two deals, Ilicali posted images of the Senegal and Australia flags, appearing to confirm the impending arrivals of Mendy and Herrington. He also shared a French flag, suggesting that a move for Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath is moving closer to completion.
The latest additions underline Hull’s attempts to strengthen their squad before returning to the Premier League for the first time in almost a decade. Their recruitment has already included significant investment, with Mendy’s transfer now surpassing the fee paid for Tzolakis only a week earlier.