Inter defender Ranocchia joins Hull to boost survival cause

Andrea Ranocchia: Favours Serie A stay

Hull have confirmed the signing of defender Andrea Ranocchia on loan from Inter Milan on a deal until the end of the season.

The Italian, 28, could make his debut for the club at Manchester United on Wednesday evening, and represents their sixth signing of the transfer window.

Ranocchia joins fellow loan recruits Oumar NIasse, Evandro, Omar Elabdellaoui and Lazar Markovic. Markus Henriksen had also arrived for an undisclosed fee from AZ Alkmaar, while Jake Livermore and Robert Snodgrass have left to join West Brom and West Ham respectively.

Ranocchia’s signing slightly eases Hull’s worries at the back after it was confirmed on Monday night that fellow centre-half Curtis Davies will miss around eight weeks with a hamstring injury.

Ranocchia had made more than 100 appearances since joining Inter in 2010, but he has played only five times in Serie A in this campaign, his last coming in the 3-0 defeat against Napoli on December 2.

Prior to his move to the San Siro, Ranocchia, capped 21 times by Italy, had played for Bari and Genoa while he had a loan spell at Sampdoria last year.

He may not be the final arrival to the KCOM Stadium on transfer deadline day, with the Tigers linked to several other players including Rubin Kazan midfielder Yann M’Vila, who spent last year on loan at Sunderland, and Watford’s Adlene Guedioura.

Left-back Andy Robertson, meanwhile, could be on his way out with Premier League rivals Burnley reportedly interested in swooping for the Scotland international.