Premier League: Hull make some deadline day history

Hull owner Assem Allam was one of the heroes of deadline day

Hull delivered one of the best ever deadline days, adding Abel Hernandez, Mohamed Diame, Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa...

Even the most memorable transfer deadline day performances of all time - Man City's post-takeover summer 2008 spectacular being the first to spring to mind - tend to earn that status because of one remarkable signing, which in that instance was Robinho.

Hull's achievement this time around in recruiting four players who would usually be beyond the reach of a long-term Football League side from one of the Premier League's less celebrated cities should therefore be rated among the all-time greats.

The first of their new quartet to join was the one discussed most in advance of deadline day, with the Tigers breaking their transfer record with the 10 million acquisition of Abel Hernandez from Palermo. The forward is a Uruguayan international with a one-in-two strike rate for his country.

They followed that by purchasing Mohamed Diame off West Ham for 3.5 million, a bargain price for a box-to-box beast with five years Premier League experience behind him who was regularly linked with Liverpool (often by himself, admittedly) and Arsenal over the past three windows.

Next up came Gaston Ramirez, formerly Southampton's most expensive ever buy and someone who has been discounted somewhat prematurely on the inconclusive evidence 23 Premier League starts.

If the attacking midfielder, still only 23, rediscovers the Bologna form that got Europe's leading clubs admiring him before his surprise 2012 move to St Mary's, he will be prove a brilliant loan addition.

Another gifted creator fallen out of favour completed a glorious day's business in overtime, with Hull granted an extension to push through a loan deal for Newcastle outcast Hatem Ben Arfa late on.

The Frenchman was probably the most talented player at St James' Park, but was frozen out as boss Alan Pardew and several senior players allegedly tired of his perceived greediness and poor attitude. However, he grafted hard while excluded from the squad in pre-season to fight for a second chance.

All those impressive arrivals were funded courtesy of some savvy selling. Diame cost little more than George Boyd, who left for Burnley, while Hernandez was cheaper than Shane Long, who the FA Cup finalists relinquished to Southampton for 12 million.

Mix in some clever signings earlier in the summer like Robert Snodgrass (currently injured), Thomas Ince and Michael Dawson and it is clear that there isn't much more they could do to ward off the threat of second season syndrome.

Tellingly, they are now a shorter price of 3.8514/5 for a top-half finish than to be relegated at 5.59/2.