Hull City Sign Japan International Hidemasa Morita on Free Transfer

Hull City have added serious top-level know‑how to their midfield, confirming the signing of Japan international Hidemasa Morita on a two-year deal with an option for a further year.

The 31-year-old joins the newly promoted Premier League side on a free transfer after leaving Sporting, choosing the KC over interest from fellow top-flight newcomers Ipswich Town. For a club stepping back into the glare of the Premier League, this is a move that speaks of intent rather than survival anxiety.

Morita does not arrive as a gamble. He comes with medals and miles in his legs. During four years in Portugal he collected multiple trophies, including two Primeira Liga titles and the Taça de Portugal, while establishing himself as a steady presence in a Sporting side built to dominate the ball and live comfortably in high-pressure games.

His European résumé is just as compelling. Morita helped Sporting reach the Champions League quarter-finals last season, making 23 appearances in the competition. Those nights against elite opposition are exactly the kind of experience Hull have lacked in recent years; now they drop straight into the heart of their dressing room.

A mainstay for his country, the midfielder has earned 40 caps for Japan, bringing with him the tactical discipline and work-rate that have become hallmarks of the national team. For a promoted side that will spend long stretches without the ball, that profile matters.

This is not an isolated move, either. Morita becomes Hull’s fourth signing of the summer and the third arrival in a busy week, following deals for Matt Targett and Óscar Zambrano. The spine is being rebuilt, piece by piece, with a clear tilt toward players who understand the demands of top-tier football.

Morita will join up with his new teammates at their training camp in Slovenia. A minor calf issue is expected to sideline him for around a week, a precaution rather than a concern at this stage of pre-season.