Why Charlton Athletic have signed Onel Hernandez - Nathan Jones has confirmed the reasons | OneFootball

The Cuban international has returned to the Championship following his summer departure from Norwich City

Despite the recent closure of the summer transfer window, that hasn't stopped newly-promoted Charlton Athletic adding to their ranks by dipping into the free agent market.

As such, it was confirmed on Monday night that the Addicks had completed the signing of Cuban international winger, Onel Hernandez, on a short-term deal until the turn of the calendar year following his recent departure from Norwich City after a seven-year-long association with the East Anglian club.

It has been a steady return to the Championship for the South London club following their League One play-off final success against Leyton Orient back in May, with Nathan Jones' side earning plenty of praise for their largely streetwise approach to the opening encounters of the season, making themselves extremely tough to beat whilst also being efficient in attack.

This has been perfectly embodied by their past two results and first run of back-to-back victories within the season, backing up a late show against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane with a convincing 3-0 success against Blackburn Rovers at the Valley on Saturday afternoon.

Such developments have only added to the positivity created in this part of the capital which also saw Jones add 10 new players to his ranks throughout the summer window, some of whom have previous experience of featuring under the Welshman at Luton Town and Southampton such as Reece Burke, Amari'i Bell and James Bree.

And, with the likes of Rob Apter and Isaac 'Tanto' Olaofe also making strong first impressions on the locals thus far, Jones has further bolstered his attacking and creative department with the capture of Hernandez, outlining the key reasons behind the signing to official club media once the deal was completed.

Nathan Jones explains why Charlton Athletic have signed Onel Hernandez

Hernandez has previously racked up 204 appearances at Championship level, with the vast majority of those coming for Norwich after his move from Eintracht Braunschweig in January 2018 under the management of Daniel Farke.

The 32-year-old's first full season at Carrow Road is where he burst into life, scoring eight times and providing 10 assists alongside the likes of Teemu Pukki, Todd Cantwell and Emi Buendia as the Canaries sealed the second tier title with 94 points, before also making 21 appearances in an injury-hit campaign two years later as a second league-winning success within three campaigns was sealed.

Hernandez also enjoyed brief loan stints with Birmingham City and Middlesbrough at this level, and after leaving Norfolk in the summer as Norwich went in a new direction following the appointment of Liam Manning, is now set to have another impact on the division with Charlton, with Jones citing his experience as a major facet of the short-term agreement.

"Onel brings real good Championship experience. We’ve had a look at him as he’s been training with us for a few weeks and he’s got wonderful athleticism and real one-v-one quality," he said.

"We felt that we just wanted to add in that department. We’ve got TC [Tyreece Campbell], we’ve got [Rob] Apter, we’ve got Ibby [Fullah] who can do that but we just wanted to bring a bit of Championship experience in terms of the one-v-one ability. He’s come in, he’s looked sharp and he’s shown his quality."

Of course, without a pre-season in a club environment, it isn't perhaps overly surprising that an initial three-month deal has been accepted between the respective parties.

However, if Hernandez can have a similar influence at The Valley to what he was capable of at Norwich, then it will give the club plenty of food for thought as the winter transfer window draws nearer.

The Cuban's versatility and ability to take on defenders will be a vital asset to Jones, as he stated, especially in tight encounters - with the Reds already involved in plenty of those in the early weeks of the campaign.

It remains to be seen if the experienced wide man is thrown straight into the action either from the start or as a substitute in the coming weeks. However, he will hope to be involved when his new and former employers clash at Carrow Road on Boxing Day.