Hull City have signed the forward Joe Gelhardt from Leeds and the midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath from Red Bull Salzburg for undisclosed fees. Gelhardt has signed a four-year deal with the option of a further year, and Gourna-Douath has agreed a five-year contract.
Gelhardt returns to Hull on a permanent deal after two loan spells at the club, in which the 24-year-old scored 15 goals in the Championship last season and struck the tie-clinching second goal in Hull's play-off second-leg win over Millwall. He started his career at Wigan before joining Leeds, where he scored three goals in 57 appearances either side of loan spells at Sunderland and Hull. "I'm over the moon," Gelhardt said. "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. As soon as I joined the club, I connected with the fans, the staff, all the players. I'm happy to be here on a permanent now, rather than a loan."
Gourna-Douath joins from Salzburg, where he made 95 appearances across four seasons after arriving from Saint-Etienne, for whom he played 65 times. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Le Havre, making 15 Ligue 1 appearances. "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," Gourna-Douath said. "I know Hull City is a big family club. Playing in front of our fans will be fun. It will be amazing for me."
The pair take Hull's business to 11 new arrivals since Sergej Jakirovic's side beat Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final at Wembley in May to secure an immediate return to the Premier League, with the promoted side aiming to make 10 to 12 signings before the transfer window closes.