Defender Luis Hernandez has joined Leicester City on a free transfer from La Liga side Sporting Gijon on a four-year contract, the Premier League champions said on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old, who made almost 140 appearances during his four-year spell with Gijon, heavily featured for the Spanish side this season, making 36 starts as the club narrowly escaped relegation.

Hernandez becomes Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri’s second signing of the close season, following the capture of German keeper Ron-Robert Zieler from Hannover, as he hopes to build a squad ready to defend their league title.

With the Foxes set to embark upon their first-ever Champions League campaign, the addition of Hernandez will provide competition to the first-choice centre-back pairing, Wes Morgan and Robert Huth.