Leicester City defender Luis Hernandez has today left the club to sign for Spanish outfit Malaga on a permanent deal.
The 27-year-old has left the King Power Stadium for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £1.7m, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the La Liga outfit.
Struggled to settle
The exit of the versatile defender represents a disappointing half a year in English football having been signed on a free transfer from Sporting Gijon in July 2016.
The Real Madrid academy graduate originally signed a four-year contract and only went on to make eight appearances, including seven starts, under Claudio Ranieri as he struggled to break into the Foxes’ starting XI.
Although, four of his starts for the East-Midlanders came in the club’s maiden UEFA Champions League campaign as they topped the group and successfully progressed to the last-16.
The Spaniard only made another three starts in the Premier League and has departed for Malaga in an attempt to earn more game time.
Defence needs bolstering
Following the swift departure of Hernandez, Leicester City may now look to recruit a defender in what remains of the January transfer window. The Foxes now lack support in both right-back and centre-back positions following the transfer of Hernandez.
Currently, the only players who can fill the void at centre-half for Claudio Ranieri’s men are skipper Wes Morgan, Robert Huth, Yohan Benalouane and the aging Marcin Wasilewski. Danny Simpson is also the only out-and-out right-back that can be called upon for the remainder of the season at the moment.
On the other hand, there are a couple of utility players that could be used in a variety of positions. Recent signing Wilfred N’Didi is usually utilised in a midfield position but is capable of playing at centre-back.
Also, upon his return from the Africa Cup of Nations, Daniel Amartey may be able to assist in both positions. Therefore, the need to sign a defender may not be as urgent following Hernandez's exit from the King Power Stadium.