Leicester bolsters backline by signing Hernandez from Sporting Gijon

London - Leicester has agreed to sign Sporting Gijon defender Luis Hernandez on a free transfer, the Premier League champions confirmed on Tuesday.

Hernandez will join Claudio Ranieri's side on a four-year contract when his current deal with the La Liga side expires at the end of June.

"Leicester City Football Club are delighted to announce that Spanish defender Luis Hernandez will join on a four-year deal, starting on 1 July, 2016," a statement on the club's website read.

The 27-year-old becomes Leicester's first signing of the close-season as Ranieri bolsters his squad for its title defence and maiden Champions League campaign next season.

Hernandez, a product of the Real Madrid youth academy, played 140 games for Gijon and helped the club preserve its La Liga status on the final day of the season.

He will join up with his new team-mates when they return to training in July and could feature in Leicester's pre-season campaign, which includes matches against Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic as part of the International Champions Cup.