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Luis Hernandez is first transfer signing for champion Leicester City

By Jake Fitzgerald-Marcin

GIJON, SPAIN - AUGUST 23: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid duels for the ball with Luis Hernandez of Real Sporting de Gijon during the La Liga match between Sporting Gijon and Real Madrid at Estadio El Molinon on August 23, 2015 in Gijon, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
GIJON, SPAIN - AUGUST 23: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid duels for the ball with Luis Hernandez of Real Sporting de Gijon during the La Liga match between Sporting Gijon and Real Madrid at Estadio El Molinon on August 23, 2015 in Gijon, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images) /
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Leicester City have made their first transfer move as Premier League Champions, signing defender Luis Hernandez on a free transfer from Sporting Gijon.

Leicester City have made their first summer signing, and his name is Luis Hernandez. According to Leicester City’s official website, the 27-year-old defender will be signing a four-year contract with the foxes after his Sporting Gijon contract expires at the end of the month. This is the first official signing for the foxes who look to continue their cinderella run into the Champions League.

Hernandez is a product of the Real Madrid academy and played for both their C and B teams before being transferred to Sporting B in 2012.

Hernandez has spent the past four seasons with Sporting Gijon, making 136 appearances for the La Liga side. Not only was he an integral part of the defense that helped Sporting Gijon secure promotion to La Liga after finishing the 2014-15 season second in the Segunda Division, he also was vital in their 2-0 win over Villarreal on the final day of the 2015-16 season to avoid relegation. Even with Sporting Gijon’s struggles in their first season at the top flight of Spanish football, Hernandez showed he could perform at the highest level very well, raking up almost a 6.9 player rating in 36 La Liga appearances.

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Since his senior side debut in 2012 for Sporting Gijon, Hernandez has made a name for himself as a ball playing defender with a remarkable ability to clear the ball. He reads the game very well from the back and will surely be an asset to the Champions League contender.

The pick up will be especially welcomed by Jamie Vardy, who will hopefully be able to take advantage of Hernandez’s over the top clearances as starts to counterattacks.

The Foxes hope to get Hernandez on board as soon as his contract expires so as to allow him to integrate into their preseason training. There is even the possibility he will be on the team’s International Champions Cup preseason tour.

The ICC will have them playing the likes of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Celtic. These preseason games will immediately throw him into the deep end as they go up against the best around Europe. This will hopefully allow him to gain some credibility with the Leicester faithful early on in his tenure.

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For Leicester City, the addition of another solid defender only adds to their formidable back line. While they performed extremely well in the Premier League last season, it is important for them to add reinforcements as they now will not only have the Premier League to compete in, but also the UEFA Champions League. This will surely be the first of a number of signings for them (stay up to date with their transfer news here), and it certainly is a quality start.

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