Indian Football Transfers: Delhi Dynamos sign former Bengaluru FC midfielder Xisco Hernandez
ISL franchise Delhi Dynamos has signed Spanish attacking midfielder Xisco Hernandez for the upcoming 2019-20 season. The Spaniard played for Bengaluru FC in the previous season on a one-year contract but refused to renew it.
Earlier, we reported that Xisco had rejected an offer from Spanish third-division side Real Balompedica Linense and the ISL champions offered him an extension. However, it seems that negotiations have broken down and the 29-year-old is heading North.
Before signing for Bengaluru, Xisco played for the likes of Elche, Puertollano, RCD Mallorca, Lleida Esportiu, Atletico Baleares, CF Reus, and Gimnastic de Tarragona, in various divisions of Spanish football.
Xisco is a product of the RCD Mallorca youth academy and played for their B team alongside the aforementioned clubs in the Segunda Division B - Spain's third Division. His one-year stint with Bengaluru FC in the ISL was his first foray outside his native country but he played a monumental part in guiding them to their third league title.
Xisco mostly played in the central midfield position for Bengaluru and occasionally as a False No.9 when Miku got injured. In the 20 matches he played, he scored one goal and had five assists to his name.
The Spaniard will be Delhi Dynamos' third foreigner for the next season of the ISL after the capital club extended captain Marcos Tebar's contract and signed former Barcelona B player Diawandou Diagne. Both of them are defensive midfielders in nature, so one can guess that Xisco will be more focussed on the attacking aspects of the game under Josep Gombau.
From the perspective of Indian players, Delhi has signed Jerry Mawihmingthanga from Jamshedpur FC so far. They have already lost Rene Mihelic to Indonesian club Persib Bandung and Gianni Zuiverloon is all set to pen the deal for Kerala Blasters.
Amidst rumors of the club shifting its base away from Delhi, Xisco's signing will bring a sigh of relief to their supporters.