Hull City complete permanent deals for Joe Gelhardt and Lucas Gourna-Douath
Hull City have signed English forward Joe Gelhardt from Leeds and French midfielder Lucas Gourna-Douath from Red Bull Salzburg, the club confirmed on 15 August 2026, with both transfers completed for undisclosed fees.
The pair are the Tigers' 10th and 11th signings since the club secured promotion back to the Premier League last season. Gelhardt returns after two loan spells across an 18-month period that included a productive campaign in the Championship, while Gourna-Douath arrives from Salzburg after four seasons with the Austrian club.
Gelhardt, 24, scored 14 Championship goals last season and netted the tie-clinching second goal in the play-off second leg against Millwall after initial loan spells at Hull. He began his career at Wigan before moving to Leeds, where he scored three goals in 57 appearances around loan spells at Sunderland and Hull. "I'm over the moon. 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," said Gelhardt. "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."
Lucas Gourna-Douath started his senior career at Saint-Etienne, making 65 appearances for the French club before joining Salzburg in 2022. He made 95 appearances for Salzburg over four seasons and spent the second half of the last campaign on loan at Le Havre, where he played 15 games in Ligue 1. "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," said Gourna-Douath. "I know Hull City is a big family club. Playing in front of our fans will be fun. It will be amazing for me."
Both deals were announced without disclosed transfer fees; Gelhardt has agreed a four-year contract with an option for a further 12 months, while Gourna-Douath has signed a five-year deal with Hull City.
