Hull City agrees to sign Ilyas Ansah from Union Berlin for around €22M

Hull City have wrapped up a deal to sign 21-year-old striker Ilyas Ansah from 1. FC Union Berlin in a transfer worth around €22 million, with performance-related add-ons potentially pushing the total package toward €24 million. The German forward has penned a long-term contract at Hull that runs through 2031.

From Paderborn to the Premier League in two years

Ansah’s rise has been impressively steep. Union Berlin signed him from SC Paderborn for roughly €4 million in mid-2025. That means the Berlin club is flipping him for more than five times what they paid.

During the 2025/26 Bundesliga season, Ansah scored 5 goals and contributed 3 assists across 33 appearances. Born in Lüdenscheid, Germany, Ansah has already represented his country at both U20 and U21 levels. He reportedly turned down an opportunity to feature with the senior national team at one point.

The deal surpasses Union Berlin’s previous record sale of Taiwo Awoniyi, who left the club for €20 million.

Hull’s post-promotion spending takes shape

Hull City, under manager Sergej Jakirovic, are landing Ansah for a fee that ranks among the club’s most expensive signings ever. A deal running to 2031 gives Hull six years of control over the player.

What this move means for both clubs

For Union Berlin, turning a €4 million investment into a €22 million-plus payday in roughly one year represents exceptional business. Union have shown before, most notably with the Awoniyi sale, that they can absorb the departure of important attackers.

Ansah scored 5 goals in 33 Bundesliga appearances during his single season at Union Berlin, having established himself as a key starter almost immediately after joining from Paderborn.