The former Tigers loanee is expected to make a permanent return to East Yorkshire
11:56, 11 Jul 2026
Ecudaor midfielder Oscar Zambrano is set to return to the MKM Stadium
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Ecudaor midfielder Oscar Zambrano is set to return to the MKM Stadium(Image: Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images))
Hull City are understood to be set to welcome back a familiar face when pre-season training begins on Monday and preparations step up for life in the Premier League.
Oscar Zambrano will be part of City’s squad over the course of the summer after a permanent deal was struck with Slovenian side Maribor, and it's thought he will sign a three-year deal with the option of a fourth.
Zambrano was a high-profile signing in the summer of 2024, when he joined from LDU Quito in Ecuador, but he arrived with a potential ban hanging over his head. He played eight times before being banned by CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation.
The young defensive midfielder was then banned for 16 months, before his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced it to 12.
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Zambrano served that suspension, which expired in November last year, and he was sold to Maribor, a club also owned by Acun Ilicali, penning a deal until 2029.
During the second half of the season, the 22-year-old played seven times in the Prva Liga, scoring twice and is now set to be given a chance to impress Sergej Jakirovic throughout the course of the summer.
Prior to his untimely suspension for using an anti-allergy medication after eating shrimp, Zambrano was likened to Chelsea star Moises Caicedo and linked with moves to Europe.
During his short spell at City under Tim Walter, the Ecuadorian caught the eye and scored in a 4-1 win over Cardiff City.
In that spell in East Yorkshire, he was also called up to the national team for the first time, though he didn’t get a chance to make an appearance.
Zambrano's expected arrival is a huge boost to Jakirovic's midfield options ahead of the new season, having seen Amir Hadziahmetovic and John Lundstram depart after their loan spells from Besiktas and Trabzonspor came to an end, while Eliot Matazo remains sidelined with an ACL injury.
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