Hull City have completed the signing of midfielder Tim Iroegbunam from Everton for an undisclosed fee, with the 23-year-old committing his future to the Tigers until the summer of 2031.
The defensive midfielder has agreed a five-year contract after building Premier League experience with both Everton and Aston Villa.
Iroegbunam started his senior career at Aston Villa, having joined the Birmingham club from the academy of West Bromwich Albion. He subsequently moved to Everton, where he continued his development in the English top flight.
He has made 60 Premier League appearances during his career, including 48 for Everton and 12 for Aston Villa.
The move represents a new chapter for Iroegbunam, who said he was excited by the opportunity to join Hull City and begin work with his new team.
“I’m very happy. From the first moment I heard about the opportunity to come and join this club, I was excited. Now, it’s finally done. It’s taken a long time but I’m excited to get started,”Iroegbunam told theclub’s official website.
The midfielder revealed that Hull City’s interest emerged early in pre-season, although an injury briefly cast doubt on whether the transfer would go ahead.
“Quite early on in pre-season, I heard about the interest. I was just waiting around, then I got injured. I thought it might have been off the cards, but I managed to recover and get right.
“I spoke to the owner and he explained everything about the club. I’m close with ‘Gilo’ (Ryan Giles) – you could call him ‘Agent Gilo’ because he said a lot of things that made me want to come.”
Iroegbunam also believes his previous experience of playing in different dressing rooms, including at Premier League level, can benefit Hull City both on and off the pitch.
“I’ve been around different changing rooms and hopefully I can bring (Premier League) experience on and off the pitch.
“I like to get on the ball and drive the team forward. I like to get involved with big tackles, be aggressive, be on the front foot and show loads of energy.”
He has already played at Hull City’s stadium and spoke positively about returning there as a home player.
“The stadium is beautiful – I’ve played here once before. I want to hopefully help this team push and finish as high as we can.”
Iroegbunam’s arrival gives Hull City an experienced option in midfield as they prepare for the next stage of their campaign. His contract will keep him with the club for five years, through to the summer of 2031.
By Adeboye Amosu