Hull break transfer record to sign Uruguay striker

Reuters
Uruguay's Abel Hernandez celebrates after scoring a goal against Tahiti during their Confederations Cup Group B soccer match at the Arena Pernambuco in Recife June 23, 2013. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/Files

LONDON (Reuters) - Hull City completed the signing of Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez from Italian Serie A club Palermo for a club record fee of 9.5 million pounds ($15.8 million) on Monday. The Premier League club confirmed the deal for the 24-year-old, who has signed a three-year contract, in a statement on their website (www.hullcitytigers.com). Hernandez scored 14 goals last season as Palermo won promotion as Serie B champions and he has scored seven goals in 14 internationals for Uruguay since his debut in 2010. He made two appearances as a substitute at this year's World Cup finals. "Abel is a fantastic signing and highlights how far the club has come in such a short space of time," said manager Steve Bruce. The fee for Hernandez broke the previous record of seven million pounds ($11.63 million) paid to Tottenham Hotspur for midfielder Jake Livermore in June, according to media reports. That move followed just months after the then-record signing of Croatian striker Nikica Jelavic from Everton for a reported fee of 6.5 million pounds ($10.8 million). ($1 = 0.602 British Pounds) (Reporting by Tim Collings, editing by Ed Osmond)