Nikica Jelavic has completed his transfer to Hull City for a club record fee, and is confident he will have no regrets above making the move.
The Croatian international arrived in England during the January transfer window two years ago, when Everton paid £5million to lure him from Rangers. Jelavic was an instant hit at Goodison Park with nine goals in just 13 Premier League outings, but last season he managed just seven despite appearing on 37 occasions.
His plight has dipped further under new coach Roberto Martinez, who had selected him to feature in only nine of their opening 21 matches, of which five have come from a starting position. The 28-year-old has failed to find the back of the net, but he will hope his fortunes improve now he has signed a three-and-a-half year deal at the KC Stadium.
“I hope that we can build on the great start to the season and become a really strong Premier League team over the coming years,” Jelavic is quoted on the BBC website. “It is a good club. It didn’t take long to realise that it was right for me. It’s a newly promoted club, but I can see straight away that there is a lot of ambition here.”
It is understood the Tigers have paid a club record fee of around £6.5million for Jelavic, with a further £1million to be added to this figure if they avoid relegation. Steve Bruce’s side are currently tenth in the standings, but just five points above the drop zone. Their new record signing is set to make his debut in the clash at Norwich City on Saturday.
Meanwhile, it is believed Bruce still hopes to take Republic of Ireland international Shane Long to further boost his attacking options. The Hull manager was close to landing the striker in the summer, until West Bromwich Albion pulled the plug when they missed out on Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku. Should they renew their interest this month and land the 26-year-old, they would likely smash their transfer record again.
