Hull City manager Steve Bruce was today celebrating a job well done after the biggest 24 hours in the club's transfer history.
Desperate to swell his attacking options before the transfer window slammed shut, Bruce not only wrapped up a £10m deal for striker Abel Hernandez, he also pulled off the £3.5m capture of midfielder Mohamed Diame and season-long loan deals for Gaston Ramirez from Southampton and Hatem Ben Arfa from Newcastle United.
French international Ben Arfa was a late coup, confirmed long after the 11pm deadline. The 27-year-old playmaker has made more than 100 appearances in three seasons on Tyneside after joining from Marseille.
"Hatem is a superb addition to the squad, and brings a lot of attacking flare," said manager Steve Bruce. "We look forward to welcoming him to the Club."
Last night's moves saw the Tigers welcome the end of the transfer window with an unprecedented day of spending to significantly strengthen their ranks.
The capture of Hernandez was the main move which Bruce wanted tying up and he views the arrival of the Uruguay international as a real coup.
"Abel is a fantastic signing and highlights just how far the club has come in such a short space of time," he said.
"He is an exciting talent I'm sure the supporters can't wait to see him in action."
Although George Boyd was allowed to leave for Burnley in a £3m switch earlier in the day, he was quickly replaced by Diame on a three-year deal to take City's summer spending to a staggering £33.85m.
Diame could now make his debut against his former club when the Tigers return to action on September 15 with a home game against West Ham.
And Bruce believes the 27-year-old Senegal international will be a key addition as City bid for a third successive Premier League season.
"His experience will be invaluable for us as we look to cement our place in the top flight," he said.
With the clock ticking down, City swelled their midfield options further in the final hour as Ramirez agreed to join countryman Hernandez at the KC.
The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has 31 international caps to his name, but needs to prove his fitness after an injury-hit pre-season at the Saints.
Bruce believes the South American will prove to be a shrewd addition and said: "Gaston significantly improves our attacking options and I'm delighted to welcome him to the club.
"He is yet another quality addition as we look to build on what we achieved last season."
Yesterday's arrivals join summer signings Michael Dawson, Tom Ince, Robert Snodgrass, Andy Robertson, Harry Maguire, Jake Livermore and Brian Lenihan at the KC.
