Arsenal complete signing of highly rated defender Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen as summer recruitment spree ends
Updated 01/09/2025 at 20:52 GMT+1
Mikel Arteta’s summer recruitment spree has concluded with the deadline day signing of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie. The highly-rated 23-year-old is the latest player to join Arsenal and has agreed a season-long loan deal with the Premier League giants. Hincapie becomes The Gunners’ eighth signing of the summer as they bid to end their major trophy drought.
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Arsenal have continued their strong summer of recruitment by signing highly rated Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie on a season-long loan deal.
The deal includes an option to buy, with The Gunners agreeing a fee of £45 million should they want to sign the player permanently next summer, per the BBC.
The 23-year-old defender has been with Leverkusen since 2021, playing a key role in their Bundesliga glory in the 2023/24 season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hailed the deal, calling Hincapie a "big character".
"Piero has a real physical presence, with his versatility and tactical flexibility giving us strong added defensive options," Arteta said.
"He is a big character, with a very good combination of both youth and maturity. He will make our squad stronger and more competitive as we continue into this season. We welcome Piero and his family to Arsenal."
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Piero Hincapie in action for Bayer Leverkusen recently
Image credit: Getty Images
Sporting director Andrea Berta said: "We are delighted to have completed the loan signing for the season of Piero Hincapie.
"At only 23, Piero already has significant experience, both in the Bundesliga and at international level. He is an intelligent defender with real strength and versatility.
"His performances in recent years for both club and country have been of a consistent high quality, and we are confident Piero will continue to grow this season and be an important player for us."
Hincapie joined Leverkusen in August 2021 and went onto make 166 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring seven goals in that time.
He was also a key figure in the Leverkusen squad who won the Bundesliga title and the German Cup in a remarkable 2023/24 campaign under Xabi Alonso.
His exploits caught the attention of Premier League clubs, and he was a reported target of Tottenham Hotspur before Arsenal came calling.
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Like Eberechi Eze before him, Hincapie opted to move to the Emirates over joining Spurs as Arteta seeks to mastermind a first league triumph in more than 20 years.
The likes of Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Eze, Martin Zubimendi and now Hincapie have all arrived in north London in what has been a busy summer.
Hincapie has made 46 appearances for Ecuador, making his debut at the 2021 Copa America.
He played in all three of Ecuador's group games at the 2022 World Cup, including the opening match of the tournament against hosts Qatar.
Arsenal branded the deal "The final piece of the puzzle" on X.
On the pitch, Arsenal suffered a setback on Sunday when they lost 1-0 at champions Liverpool.
That followed league victories over Manchester United, 1-0 at Old Trafford, and Leeds United, 5-0 at the Etihad.
Hincapie joins Arsenal heading into the international break.
The Gunners will return to action with a home game against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on September 13 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+
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