Hull City land Arsenal playmaker on loan but still have sights set on more new faces

Hull City feel they need one more signing in the transfer window after the arrival of Arsenal playmaker Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand but vice-chairman Tan Kesler also hopes to make Halil Dervisoglu the “cherry on the cake” this week.

Dutch youth international M’Hand, 18, has joined on a season-long loan with the option to buy.

He is the club’s 11th addition this window and they still hope to add Fenerbahce’s Greek midfielder Dimitrios Pelkas with others potentially leaving before the 11pm deadline a week tomorrow, but only on loan.

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They also expect to find out this week if 22-year-old Turkish striker Dervisoglu will join from Brentford but if he does, Kesler will regard it as a bonus signing.

NEW FACE: Arsenal playmaker Salah-Eddine Oulad M'hand (left) has joined Hull City on a season-long loan Picture: David Price via Getty ImagesNEW FACE: Arsenal playmaker Salah-Eddine Oulad M'hand (left) has joined Hull City on a season-long loan Picture: David Price via Getty Images
NEW FACE: Arsenal playmaker Salah-Eddine Oulad M'hand (left) has joined Hull City on a season-long loan Picture: David Price via Getty Images

“We’re still discussing – not negotiating but discussing – with Pelkas,” he explained.

“(Dervisoglu) is one of the players we will recruit if Brentford lets him come and if he’s still willing to join us us. If that’s the case, it will happen.

“I’m counting that as the cherry on the cake.

“But we are in a good position with the club (Brentford) and by the end of the week we should have some good answers.”

ICING ON THE CAKE: Brentford's Halil Dervisoglu (right) in action against Middlesbrough's Hayden Coulson last season Picture: John Walton/PAICING ON THE CAKE: Brentford's Halil Dervisoglu (right) in action against Middlesbrough's Hayden Coulson last season Picture: John Walton/PA
ICING ON THE CAKE: Brentford's Halil Dervisoglu (right) in action against Middlesbrough's Hayden Coulson last season Picture: John Walton/PA
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Brentford need to be comfortable they have enough left at centre-forward after selling Marcus Forss – on loan at Hull in the second half of last season – to Middlesbrough. They bought Keane Lewis-Potter from the Tigers but he plays wider.

Dervisoglu has spent most of his Brentford career on loan, at Twente and Galatasaray.

Pelkas is a 28-year-old Greek international who can play as a winger or attacking midfielder.

One position Hull are not looking to fill is chief executive after Jim Rodwell’s departure.

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“We were very thankful to Jim, he was the guy who calmed me down in the negotiation and due diligence process,” said Kesler. “He wanted a different challenge.

“We have (chief commercial officer) Joe Clutterbrook taking some responsibilities, Paul (Woodford, head of operations) is jumping in, our finance department are coming in to help me out and David Beeby our club secretary is rising to a bigger position.

“We survived as an organisation and performed without a CEO before so we have no ambitions to bring another chief executive in.”

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