Piero Hincapie has revealed what his best position is, ‘excellent’ Arsenal star needs to watch out

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Arsenal completed their eighth and final signing of the summer on deadline day, as Piero Hincapie sealed his loan move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Andrea Berta agreed a favourable deal with Leverkusen in the days leading up to Monday, with the German club eventually giving in to the Italian’s demands.

Hincapie joins on a one-year temporary deal, although the move is almost certain to become permanent next summer, with the Gunners inserting a £45 million buy option into the agreement.

The Ecuadorian could make his debut in red and white against Nottingham Forest after the international break.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Piero Hincapie says centre-back is his best position

Jakub Kiwior completed his move to Porto on deadline day, joining the Primeira Liga club on loan with an obligation to buy worth £24 million.

The Pole was one of three left-sided defenders to leave Arsenal this summer, alongside Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who departed for Celtic and Nottingham Forest, respectively.

This meant that the Gunners were left short on the left-hand side of their backline, and Hincapie is the perfect man to fill this vacancy.

The 23-year-old is a versatile defender capable of playing as both a centre-back and a left-back, much like Riccardo Calafiori.

Speaking to the Arsenal media team upon his arrival in N5, Hincapie stated that he believes his best position is at centre-back.

“My best position is at centre-back,” he said.

“Obviously, I’ve played many games at full-back as well, but I think I’m best at centre-back. As for my qualities, I’m pacey, and I like carrying the ball forward as well as being a leader on the pitch.”

Arsenal signed Cristhian Mosquera to provide William Saliba with cover and competition on the right side of their defensive partnership.

Thus, Hincapie is only likely to be gunning for Gabriel Magalhaes’s role as a left centre-back. The Brazilian will have to watch out for the Ecuador international and will have to make sure he’s performing at his best on a weekly basis.

Hincapie’s statistics vs Gabriel’s statistics

Gabriel has been described as ‘excellent’ and has been a mainstay in Arsenal’s team for five years now.

Theoretically, the Brazilian shouldn’t have any problems retaining his place this season, given his formidable partnership with Saliba.

However, Hincapie will give him something to think about, and Arteta may opt for the slightly more offensively-minded man from time to time.

As shown by the data above, Hincapie is a more front-footed and aggressive defender, preferring to snap into challenges and jump high to intercept, rather than standing off and using physicality to win the ball like Gabriel.

The new signing is also more progressive with his passing, although these numbers may be somewhat distorted by the fact that he’s often been deployed as a full-back.

It will be a fascinating battle between the two of them.