Hull City are ready to sign Yu Hirakawa from Bristol City on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 25-year-old joined the Robins on a loan in the summer of 2024, with the agreement becoming permanent ahead of the current season.

Hirakawa has played consistently for Bristol City during that time, however he may not have had as many starts as he would have liked, with the majority of his minutes coming from the bench.

Hull City plans to sign Yu Hirakawa on loan from Bristol City.

Despite coming on in Bristol City’s 1-1 at Oxford United on Saturday, Hirakawa appears to have played his final game for the club this season.

That comes after journalist Mike White stated that Hirakawa’s loan deal to the Tigers is set to be confirmed, with manager Sergej Jakirovic later indicating that he believes Hirakawa’s arrival will be announced over the weekend, alongside Manchester United’s Toby Collyer.

That will be a huge relief for Hull, who have been working on methods to bolster the squad during the window, with Jakirovic having to deal with a slew of absentees due to injuries.

Despite this, Hull secured a remarkable three points against Southampton, propelling them to fifth place in the Championship.

Yu Hirakawa will bring more depth to Hull City.

First and foremost, this is a rather unusual move in the sense that both clubs have play-off hopes, thus some may wonder why Bristol City is willing to assist Hull.

However, it appears that the Tigers have done well in this transaction, and Hirakawa will provide the squad with a much-needed alternative in the final third, as well as the ability to play in a variety of situations.

You wouldn’t expect Hirakawa to break into the starting lineup on a regular basis, and Hull fans may be disappointed by his goal contributions since joining Bristol City, but he will be a useful member of the squad.

As for Bristol City, this deal will free up a spot in the squad as well as some salary bill dollars, allowing Gerhard Struber to bring in his own players.

Bristol City, like Hull, is facing a vital last few weeks of the window, and Struber will know he needs reinforcements if the club is to finish in the top six come May.