Hull City are delighted to announce the signing of forward João Pedro on a one-year deal, with a club option of a further year.
The 32-year-old was a free agent after leaving Turkish giants Fenerbahçe, for whom he made 28 appearances, and most recently played on loan at Brazilian club Grêmio, where he played 45 times.
The Brazil-born one-time Italy international has amassed over 400 career appearances and scored 111 goals – 86 of them for Cagliari during a productive eight-year spell between 2014 and 2022.
The experienced frontman, who can also be deployed in attacking midfield, notched 13 times during the Islanders’ 2015/16 promotion success and enjoyed his most prolific season in 2019/20, netting 19 goals.
Awarded the captaincy for 2020/21, Pedro plundered 16 and 13 strikes in his final two seasons in Sardinia to put him fourth on the club’s all-time goalscorers’ list, making 271 appearances overall.
Starting his career with Atlético Mineiro, he first moved to Italy with Palermo in 2010 and had loan spells with Portuguese side Vitória de Guimarães and Uruguayan outfit Peñarol.
The attacker returned to Brazil with Santos and spent a year back in Portugal with Estoril, where he scored 10 goals in 44 matches, before making his name at Cagliari.
Welcome, João!
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A second signing since the transfer window closed has arrived at the MKM Stadium
Hull City have completed their 17th summer signing after confirming the arrival of one-time Italian international Joao Pedro following his release from Fenerbahce.
The attacker, who can play up front or in an attacking midfield position, left the Turkish giants last month after his two-year spell in Istanbul came to an end with five goals in 28 appearances.
Born in Brazil before claiming Italian citizenship and playing for Italy in March 2022, the 32-year-old has signed terms on a one-year deal at the MKM Stadium with the option of a second, after completing his medical earlier this week.
Tigers owner Acun Ilicali Tan Kesler and the club’s recruitment staff have been scouring the market for possible options since the transfer window closed on August 30, having been desperate to add more firepower to Tim Walter’s squad. Deals for Tom Cannon, David Datro Fofana and Deivid Washington fell through in the closing stages of the window.
City were keen to replace Oscar Estupinan, who departed in the final days of August and bagged his first goal in his third game for FC Juarez in a 3-2 defeat to C.F. Monterrey last Thursday and have moved to sign Pedro in what is understood to be their final foray into the transfer market before the January window opens.
The 6ft forward can either operate in an advanced midfield position or up front, with the latter more likely given the plethora of options Walter has behind the front man with Kasey Palmer, Abdus Omur and Marvin Mehlem all capable of playing in an advanced midfield role. Wingers Abu Kamara, Will Jarvis, Liam Millar and Mohamed Belloumi can also operate there if need be.
Pedro began his career with Atletico Mineiro before heading to Italian side Palermo. He had loan spells in Portugal and Uruguay on loan prior to a move to Brazilian giants Santos and then Estoril back in Portugal.
It was in Italy’s Serie A with Cagliari where he set down roots and made his name, playing more than 200 times and scoring over 80 goals. He became captain in 2020/21, though that came after he was slapped with a six-month ban by Italian authorities for testing positive for a banned substance. During his stint in Italy, he acquired citizenship through his wife and made his Azzurri debut in a World Cup play-off against Macedonia having been called into a training camp two months earlier by then boss Roberto Mancini.
In July 2022 he moved to Istanbul in a big money deal, but played just 28 times, scoring five goals. “A mutual agreement has been reached with Joao Pedro, one of the Professional Football A Team players, and his contract has been terminated,” Fener said in a statement announcing his exit late last month. “We wish the player success in his career.”
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