Leicester City Sign Keeper Mads Hermansen

Leicester City have completed the capture of keeper Mads Hermansen from Brøndby IF of the Danish Superliga. The keeper reportedly cost the Foxes £5M*, bringing our summer spending total to approximately £23M for three permanent signings and a loan move. The deal will keep the 23-year-old at the King Power through the 2027/28 season.

* This means the real number is probably anywhere between £3M-£10M when all is done and dusted. We’re a bit jaded when it comes to financial reporting.

Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

Since City already have approximately one billion goalkeepers on the books (note: the actual number is 5 including Mads), one might reasonably ask “Why Hermansen?” The answer is “distribution.” If you watched Leicester keepers distribute the ball last season, our condolences. When option 1 (kick the ball directly to an attacker) wasn’t on, then option 2 was “hoof it into touch.” That’s not strictly fair, as there were so many long balls towards Barnes on the left wing that he actually registered as above-average in aerial duels.

So, keep that in mind when you watch this.

He’s a brilliant stopper, but at this level, that is the bare minimum for a goalkeeper. Maresca wants his #1 to be able to get the attack started. Hermansen looks very much like That Kind Of Player. If the first few friendlies are any indication, he’ll fit in perfectly with what the gaffer wants to do.

One suspects that a keeper or two will be on the way out. Well done, One. Both Danny Ward and Daniel Iversen will be wanting to be the #1 to keep their places with their national squads. Thus, it wouldn’t be shocking to see both of them leave, even if only on loan. We probably wouldn’t go to war in the Premiership with Alex Smithies and Jakub Stolarczyk as the primary backups, but we wouldn’t rule it out in the Championship.

City clearly have an affinity for Danish keepers, as Hermansen will be the third to play for us over a three-year span. What does that mean? Probably nothing, but it is an opportunity to dig up one of our favourite videos:

I understand that time makes fools of us all, but in a just universe, Jamie Vardy would be immortal.

It’s possible that Hermansen will feature in tomorrow’s match against sister club OD Leuven. If not, then he’ll surely get some time against Tottenham Hotspur on the 23rd. We’re less than three weeks from the League Championship opener against Coventry City, so Maresca will be wanting to get as much time on the pitch as possible for his revamped defence.

We like to end this with polls, but there doesn’t seem to be much need for one this time. Instead, let’s just assume that Hermansen is going to be a huge success. What we’d like from you are suggestions for nicknames. What should we call him? Is “Mads” sufficient? Let us know your suggestions!