‘I’m here to score goals’: Tigers sign Ivorian forward Bedia on loan
‘I’M HAPPY TO BE HERE’: Chris Bedia. Pictures by Hull City
By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor
Hull City have signed Ivorian forward Chris Bedia on a season-long loan from German Bundesliga side Union Berlin.
The deal for the 28-year-old, who becomes the Tigers’ 10th summer signing, includes an option to buy him permanently next summer.
The powerful frontman has scored 61 goals in 258 career appearances during spells with seven clubs in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany, where he featured on seven occasions for Union Berlin.
His most prolific goalscoring form came in the Swiss Super League with Servette, netting 31 goals in 68 matches over two years and contributing to Les Grenats’ 2023/24 Swiss Cup success.
He appeared in four Champions League qualifiers and six Europa League group stage games last term, scoring against Genk, Rangers, Sheriff Tiraspol and Roma, before his January move to the German capital.
Bedia has also played in France’s Ligue 2 with Tours, his first club, Troyes and Sochaux, for whom he scored 12 times, and the Belgian Pro League with Charleroi and Zulte Waregem.
The 6’3” attacker has been capped by Ivory Coast at Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 level and was involved in the Elephants’ 2013 African Under-17 Championship triumph.
Bedia said: “I’m happy to be here and I will try my best to score a lot of goals. I want to perform very well here, be happy and make the supporters happy too.
“I will try everything to be fit and focus on scoring goals. I like to take the ball and play with the midfielders, a lot of movement close to the box.
“I spoke to Tim Walter before coming here and he told me to find good places in the box because I will receive a lot of balls from the left and right wingers.”
City’s other signings this summer are left-back Ryan Giles, right-back Cody Drameh, attacking midfielder Marvin Mehlem, goalkeeper Anthony Racioppi, central defender Finley Burns, left-winger Liam Miller, centre-back Charlie Hughes, forward Mason Burstow, and defensive midfielder Óscar Zambrano.
The Tigers have two points from their opening two games of the Championship season, and welcome Millwall to the MKM Stadium on Saturday with new head coach Tim Walter looking for his first win as City boss.
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