Hull City's remarkable summer spending has continued apace after the club confirmed the double signing of Nobel Mendy and Lucas Herrington on Wednesday, breaking their club-record transfer fee once again in the process.

Mendy has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Tigers, and while a fee was not officially disclosed, it exceeds the reported £20m Hull paid for goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis last week. The 21-year-old impressed during his only season with Vallecano in 2025-26, making 28 appearances across all competitions, 23 of them from the start. He ranked second in Vallecano's squad for aerial duels won (41), while only Florian Lejeune (316) made more clearances in all competitions for the club than Mendy's 163.

Mendy is Hull's eighth addition ahead of their first Premier League campaign since 2016-17, and he said joining the English top flight had fulfilled a lifelong dream.

"I am very happy to be here and very proud to be here as well," Mendy told Hull's website. "I am a very athletic player, and I am a defender at heart. I also really enjoy the game and coming out from the back cleanly and aggressively when needed. I have wanted to play in the Premier League since I was little, so it's a great challenge to face, and I am ready for it. This season is going to be a good season, and we will all be in it together."

Mendy's arrival adds further quality to Hull's defence, having played a major role in helping Vallecano reach the Conference League final, where they lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace.

Herrington's rapid rise as Colorado cash in

Mendy was not the only signing announced on Wednesday, with Hull also confirming the transfer of teenage defender Lucas Herrington from the Colorado Rapids in a historic deal worth up to $23m, according to sources — easily a club record for Colorado and one of the most expensive deals in MLS history.

The Colorado Rapids knew they had a special player long before Herrington even arrived at the club for his first training session. Herrington first made his senior debut at 17 in December 2024 for Brisbane Roar, and the Rapids began scouting him intently. By the following spring, a deal was struck for him to join Colorado the following winter, after he turned 18.

"Our guys did a great job of jumping on this opportunity quickly, producing the type of intel we needed to see and made the recommendation that we couldn't wait, we needed to jump on," Rapids president Pádraig Smith told The Athletic.

Herrington made history at this summer's World Cup for Australia, becoming the youngest player to start a knockout match for his nation in FIFA's flagship competition. However, he missed the decisive penalty in that clash, hitting the woodwork as Australia were beaten 4-2 on spot-kicks by Egypt in the last 32 of the tournament.

An athletic, ball-playing centre-back who turns 19 in September, Herrington won a starting spot immediately for the Rapids and continued his impressive performances from Brisbane. He was firmly on the radar of clubs abroad, with Barcelona coming to scout him in person this spring before making an official bid worth around $7m before the World Cup — which the Rapids quickly rejected. Liverpool were among the many clubs that also sent scouts.

"There's no doubt it's a big step but he has the talent, and more importantly, the mentality and character to adapt to that level," Smith said. "I think his ceiling is huge. He can play at the very highest level. He will prove MLS players are ready to take that step."

"It became clear very quickly in Lucas' time here at the club, he was going to be an in-demand player for some of the biggest clubs and leagues in the world," Smith added. "Hull came in with an aggressive position and we got to a level we felt was appropriate for a player not only for Lucas' potential, but what he's performing at right now. I think you see that in the commitment Hull has made."

In the spring, with interest swirling but no bids yet, the Rapids reached out to Brisbane, who held a 20% sell-on clause in Herrington, and bought the clause out for cash worth just under $400,000. Twenty percent of this transfer would have been worth around an initial $3.4m.

A statement deal for MLS

The Rapids have moved on the likes of Djordje Mihailovic (Toronto FC, $8m), Moise Bombito (OGC Nice, $7.7m) and Auston Trusty (Arsenal, $3m) in recent seasons; Herrington's fee doubles that of their second-highest departure.

"It's a milestone for us as a club but also for us as a league," Smith said. "It's really important we're starting to see activity from MLS clubs in the global transfer market that is comparable to what was previously seen as 'bigger leagues'. This deal showcases MLS for what it is: A top-tier league globally (that) produces young talent that can go into top leagues and play right from the get go."

Colorado has had plenty of good moments this year under former Spurs assistant Matt Wells, with his possession-dominant style, though it hasn't always translated to points. Paxten Aaronson arrived last summer following the departure of Mihailovic, followed by key players this winter like Hamzat Ojediran, Dante Sealy, Georgi Minoungou and Loic Williams, while Rob Holding is now the new defensive anchor. It's the attack the club is focused on, sitting fifth in MLS in average possession but 17th in goals, and the Rapids can add another designated player.

"This is an incredible opportunity for us to be bold," Smith said. "Being bold, sometimes that means making tough decisions. This gives us the chance to add to the group that is unprecedented. We have clear plans."

More to come at the MKM Stadium

Herrington joins Tzolakis, Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Matt Targett, Hidemasa, Jens Hjerto-Dahl and Elliot Stroud as Hull's summer arrivals at the MKM Stadium. Hull owner Acun Ilicali has been extremely open about the Tigers' transfer business and posted further clues about impending arrivals on social media — a Senegal flag, an Australia flag and a French flag — with the latter signalling that a move for Red Bull Salzburg's Lucas Gourna-Douath is edging closer to completion.