Having lost striker Shane Long to Southampton earlier this month, Steve Bruce concluded his search for a replacement on a busy transfer deadline day. The Hull boss wrapped up the transfer of Abel Hernandez from Italian side Palermo for a club record fee of around £10 million and, after the 24-year-old signed a three year deal with the Tigers, Bruce immediately talked up the new boy’s prospects:
“Abel is a fantastic signing and highlights just how far the club has come in such a short space of time. He is an exciting talent and, like myself, I’m sure the supporters can’t wait to see him in action.”
The History
Hernandez’ career began in his native country Uruguay, where the centre forward – nicknamed ‘La Joya’ (or ‘The Jewel’) – rose through the ranks at Central Espanyol before being signed by rival side Penarol in the summer of 2008, at the age of 17. His strong performances as a regular starter for the Uruguayan club saw Palermo come calling a half a year later.
During his first season in Italy, Hernandez starred in the Palermo Under-19 squad who secured the famous Trofeo Giacinto Facchetti for youth teams in Serie A and B, and went on to make his first team debut. Across his four and a half seasons with the Sicilian side, Hernandez formed a formidable partnership with compatriot Edinson Cavani and experienced a loss in the final of the Coppa Italia, relegation to Serie B and then promotion back to the top flight last season, notching a total of 33 goals and 11 assists in 100 appearances.
On the international stage, nine goals in 11 appearances for Uruguay’s Under-20 side earned Hernandez his first senior cap in July 2010 at the age of 19, in which he instantaneously announced himself with a goal to earn a 2-0 friendly victory over Angola. A career highlight came in the 2013 Confederations Cup, when the frontman grabbed four goals in his team’s 8-0 group stage victory over Tahiti. In total, ‘La Joya’ has tallied seven goals in 14 international appearances, though he has continually struggled to earn a regular starting role ahead of the world-class talents of Cavani and Luis Suarez.
The Prospects
With a hectic final day of ins and outs now behind him, Bruce has some considerable tinkering to do before his side face West Ham after the international break. The acquisitions of Mohamed Diame, Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa will give the Hull boss plenty to ponder over in the middle of the park, and could result in a very different looking Hull team taking to the field in two weekends’ time from the one that lost out to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Hernandez’s prospects, on the other hand, don’t look so much of a mystery, as the record signing is bound to start alongside Nikica Jelavic in a front two, hence pitting the pair of forwards against each other for our attentions.
The knock-on effect from Hernandez’s arrival does not, however, bode well for a number of others in Hull’s ranks. Tom Ince had, until now, offered an out-of-position differential playing up top with Jelavic, but the young Englishman’s security of starts now look dubious. The 5.5-priced midfielder could drop in behind the front two if Bruce does continue with the 3-4-1-2 formation seen in the first few weeks of the season, though Ramirez, Ben Arfa and Robbie Brady do now offer alternatives in that position.
Hence, with so much uncertainness surrounding Bruce’s midfield, it would seem to leave Hull’s front two as our only viable routes into the Tigers’ attacking set-up for now. Handed a 7.0 price tag in the Fantasy Premier League game, Hernandez is a full 1.0 dearer than Jelavic and, bearing in mind the latter also has two goals in his last two appearances to boost his appeal, it would be a leap of faith to splash out for his costlier team-mate right now.
Nonetheless, there’s no denying that the physical presence and goal scoring capabilities of both players as Bruce looks to address a scoring record which saw his side net just 38 times last term. With home fixtures against West Ham and Crystal Palace allied with a trip to Newcastle to come in the next four Gameweeks, the stage is certainly set for Hernandez to plunder the points from the off and perhaps offer Fantasy managers a new ‘Jewel’ in our frontline crowns. In all honesty, though, when the likes of Everton’s in-form Steven Naismith is available for 5.3 and Arsenal new boy Danny Welbeck can be snapped up for 6.9, Hernandez has a lot of convincing to do if he’s to become a genuine Fantasy force.
