Hull City sign Ilyas Ansah from Union Berlin on five-year deal

Hull City have signed German forward Ilyas Ansah from Union Berlin on a five-year contract, completing another permanent addition on transfer deadline day. Hull announced the move on September 1 and said the fee was undisclosed, while BBC Sport identified the 21-year-old as the club's 13th signing of the summer window.

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The transfer takes Ansah to the Premier League after one season in Germany's top division. The Bundesliga confirmed that he will join Hull immediately and that his Union spell ends after 37 appearances in all competitions. He played 33 Bundesliga matches during the 2025-26 campaign and scored five goals.

Ansah made an immediate impact after joining Union from Paderborn in June 2025. On his Bundesliga debut, he scored both Union goals in a 2-1 home victory over Stuttgart. Four of his five league goals came across the opening four matchdays, and Bundesliga reporting credits him with three assists over the full league season.

Before moving to Berlin, Ansah established himself with Paderborn in the second tier. Union's record of his 2024-25 season shows six goals and six assists across 33 league appearances. The Lüdenscheid-born attacker had progressed through several youth teams before joining Paderborn's under-19 side and making his senior second-division debut in September 2023.

Ansah has also represented Germany at youth level. The German Football Association's records list six under-21 appearances and one goal, following 12 outings and five goals for the under-20 team. Hull have recruited him after a season in which he gained regular top-flight experience and featured in both league and cup competition for Union.

BBC Sport reported that Ansah has become Hull's 13th summer arrival, underlining the scale of the promoted club's squad changes. Union managing director Horst Heldt said the forward had developed well during his year in Berlin, while Ansah thanked the club, its management and supporters. Hull have not disclosed add-ons or further financial details, leaving the five-year contract as the principal confirmed term of the deal.