Paris pursuit pays off as Bruce lands N’Doye

The 29-year-old Senegal international became the Tigers’ only signing of the transfer window after the club had secured an extension to the 11pm deadline.

Bruce flew out to Paris on Monday morning and his persistence paid off when N’Doye signed a two-and-a-half year deal shortly before midnight.

The deal hadn’t been without its problems. Agreement over a £3m fee had been reached on Thursday with Lokomotiv Moscow but N’Doye’s participation in the African Nations Cup had made logistics difficult, both in terms of a medical and sitting down with the player.

Hence why Bruce, sensing he was about to miss out on another transfer target due to Aaron Lennon having opted to go elsewhere, decided to fly out to the French capital in an attempt to get the deal over the line.

It worked and now it is over to N’Doye to help improve a truly wretched goalscoring record that is threatening to drag City back to the Championship.

“I am delighted to have completed the signing of Dame,” he said. “And I am looking forward to seeing him in action for us.

“He will, undoubtedly, strengthen our squad and add a significant goal threat.”

N’Doye arrives with a decent CV, albeit one that lacks a spell in one of Europe’s truly top leagues.

The Senegal international’s started in his native country with Jeanne D’Arc before moves to Portugal and then Greece brought him experience of the European game.

It was, however, a 2009 switch to Copenhagan that truly saw N’Doye’s career take off. Champions League goals followed as the club became the first from Denmark to reach the last 16.

Lokomotiv Moscow, impressed by N’Doye’s scoring exploits in Scandinavia, took the striker to Russia in 2012 and have been rewarded with 27 goals from 71 appearances. His challenge now is to bring that scoring touch to the Premier League, as he looks to provide competition for Abel Hernandez and Nikica Jelavic.

City have failed to score in 12 of their last 16 league and Cup outings, a run that has seen the club slide from the top half of the table to the relegation zone.