Hull City Bolsters Squad with Joe Gelhardt and Lucas Gourna-Douath Signings
Hull City has officially signed English forward Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United and French midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath from Red Bull Salzburg for undisclosed fees. Gelhardt has committed to a four-year deal with an option for an additional year, while Gourna-Douath joins the Tigers on a five-year contract. Their arrivals mark Hull's 10th and 11th signings since securing promotion to the Premier League last season. At just 24 years old, Gelhardt returns to Hull after two successful loan spells over the past 18 months, during which he netted 14 goals in the Championship last season. Notably, he scored the pivotal second goal in the play-off second leg against Millwall. Before his time at Hull, Gelhardt started his career at Wigan Athletic and spent time at Leeds, where he recorded three goals in 57 appearances, alongside loan spells at Sunderland and Hull. Expressing his delight, Gelhardt stated, "I'm over the moon. It's been a great 18 months playing here - I've loved every minute of it. Since the season ended, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. Thankfully, it's happened." On the other hand, Gourna-Douath began his career at Saint-Etienne, making 65 appearances before moving to Salzburg in 2022, where he tallied 95 appearances over four seasons. He also spent the second half of last season on loan at Le Havre, featuring in 15 Ligue 1 matches. Regarding his move, Gourna-Douath expressed, "I'm really happy because it was such a long journey from the first phone call until I signed. I'm so excited to get started."
Source: BBC Sport - 2026-08-15