Hull City's pursuit of Nobel Mendy has hit an unexpected obstacle after Rayo Vallecano altered the conditions of the proposed transfer. This happened just as an agreement appeared to be edging closer. The Premier League newcomers have been pushing to sign the 21-year-old centre-back. They submitted a bid of €18m (£15.5m).
Nobel Mendy's move to Hull City had looked to be progressing quickly over the past 48 hours. Union Rayo stated the defender was keen on the switch and had stayed away from training as negotiations continued. According to Union Rayo, the transfer has stalled because of disagreement over the percentage of any future sale.
Why it matters for Hull City
The transfer has stalled because of disagreement over the percentage of any future sale. Rayo Vallecano modified the originally discussed conditions regarding a sell-on clause. Hull are unwilling to accept the new demand at this stage. As a result, talks have been frozen despite the expectation on Thursday night that the transfer could soon be completed.
Union Rayo add that the overall package under discussion could reach €20m (£17.3m) plus a further €5m (£4.3m) in bonuses. This figure would represent one of the biggest sales in Rayo’s history. Hull City remain interested in completing the signing, yet the latest developments suggest the breakthrough expected only hours earlier is no longer as close. The two clubs now need to bridge their differences over the structure of the deal before Mendy can make the move to England.
As of 01 Aug 2026, Hull City are 6th in the Championship, having scored 70 goals and conceded 66, with a +4 goal difference. They are 22 points behind leaders Coventry and are on a 4-game winning run, with their last result being a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on 2026-05-23. Their recent form is 4W-1D-0L (WWWWD, most recent first).
