Hull City in talks with Brazil-born Italian striker over shock transfer

Hull City are understood to be in talks with former Cagliari captain and one-time Italian international João Pedro over a surprise move to the MKM Stadium.

The 32-year-old, who was born in Ipatinga, has spent the last two years at Fenerbahce but left in the summer and has been a free agent, having joined them from Cagliari for a fee reported to be in the region of 6.5m euros when he joined the Turkish giants in 2022.

City have moved to try and snap up the experienced attacker after missing out on bringing in a forward in the final days of the summer transfer window, and are expected to offer him a one-year deal at the MKM Stadium with the option of a second, and would become the second free transfer arrival after Steven Alzate taking the total of new arrivals since the end of last season to 17.

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Tim Walter's attacking options are limited to just Chris Bedia and Mason Burstow after Oscar Estupinan departed in the final week of the window, and a move for Pedro would at least bolster the German's options up front.

The 6ft frontman can either operate in an attacking midfield role or up front, with the latter more likely given the plethora of options Walter has in attacking midfield with Kasey Palmer, Abdus Omur and Marvin Mehlem all capable of playing in an advanced midfield role, while wingers Abu Kamara, Will Jarvis, Liam Millar and Mohamed Belloumi can also operate there if need be.

Pedro began his career with Atletico Mineiro before heading to Italian side Palermo and had loan spells in Portugal and Uruguay on loan prior to a move to Brazilian giants Santos and then Estoril back in Portugal.

After that flurry of clubs, it was with Cagliari where he set down roots and made his name, playing more than 200 times and scoring over 80 goals, becoming captain in 2020/21, though that came after he was slapped with a six-month ban by Italian authorities for testing positive for banned substance diuretic hydrochlorothiazide which was found in his sample.

“The first section of the TNA (national anti-doping court), in accepting the petition proposed by the National Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office, has proceeded to suspend Joao Pedro Gerardino Dos Santos Galvao, who was found positive for the substance hydrochlorothiazide following a check made by NADO Italia at the end of the Serie A match between Cagliari and Sassuolo on February 11, 2018," it said at the time but recovered from that to play some of the best football in his career.

In July 2021 he moved to Istanbul, but played just 28 times, scoring five goals. "A mutual agreement has been reached with Joao Pedro, one of the Professional Football A Team players, and his contract has been terminated," Fener said in a statement announcing his exit late last month. "We wish the player success in his career."