Hull City’s record signing, Abel Hernandez, has signed for Argentinian top-flight side Rosario Central.
The 33-year-old joins Rosario on a year-long loan, having left Penarol in his native Uruguay. In a short statement on social media, the 2023 Copa de la Liga Profesional winners welcomed him to the club.
“Abel Hernández reinforces the Canalla! The 33-year-old Uruguayan forward joins Central. Welcome to the Argentine champion, Joya!”
🇺🇾💎🇺🇦 ¡Abel Hernández refuerza al Canalla!
El delantero uruguayo de 33 años se incorpora a Central. 📝 https://t.co/PxVhC95zkW
¡Bienvenido al campeón argentino, Joya! 👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/KGcnY9i5hq
— Rosario Central (@RosarioCentral) January 29, 2024
The Argentine football league season runs from May to December, so he’ll join his new employers in pre-season, after they finished eighth in the league and qualified for the Copa Libertadores group stage. There’s a chance they could be drawn in the same group as his employer, Penarol, who finished as runner-up in Uruguay last season. During his time with Decano he bagged 12 goals in 26 matches.
Argentina becomes the fourth South American country the striker has played in. He started out in Uruguay, playing briefly for Penarol, before a move to Palermo in Italy. He wasn’t prolific in Serie A – he scored 31 times in 111 top-flight appearances, but smashed 14 in 28 in 2013/14, which alerted the then-Premier League side Hull City.
On deadline day in September 2014, he moved to Humberside for a fee of £10 million. He made his debut a fortnight later, scoring as the Tigers drew 2-2 with West Ham. That was one of just four top-flight goals he bagged that season as his club were relegated, but he tore up the Championship the following season. He hit 20 goals in 39 matches as his side were promoted via the play-offs.
Once again, he struggled in the Premier League with a paltry four goals in 24 outings. The following season, he showed promise with eight goals in ten games, but a ruptured Achilles tendon kept him out for much of the campaign. Despite being offered a new deal, he opted to leave the KC Stadium, and despite interest from Leeds, he moved to CSKA Moscow.
Since then, he’s led a nomadic existence, not adding to the 29 caps and four goals he grabbed for his country. He’s had spells in Brazil. Mexico and Qatar before Penarol came calling, with the latest switch the tenth of his career.
Writer’s View
Hernandez was clinical and dangerous in the Championship but could never quite make the step up. In that respect, he was similar to the likes of Dwight Gayle and Robert Earnshaw, an in-betweener just too good for the second tier but not a Premier League player.
It could be argued he’s not been the same since that injury at Hull. Uruguay clearly didn’t think so as he drifted from the international scene.
This move is a good one for him – Rosario feels like a club on the up, and at 33, he’ll be looking for some silverware in his twilight years.
