Xabi Alonso says Mikel Arteta has a ‘warrior’ at Arsenal but he’s started just one game

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Arsenal signed eight new players in the summer transfer window, and Piero Hincapie was one of them.

The Gunners needed to go to the next level after finishing second three seasons in a row, and Andrea Berta has given them the best chance of doing that.

Mikel Arteta’s men are now on top of the Premier League table, and they have been flawless in the Champions League and Carabao Cup as well.

Hincapie has started just one game so far, but he has impressed Arsenal fans. Now, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has had his say on the defender.

Xabi Alonso hails Arsenal ‘warrior’ Piero Hincapie

Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan deal in the summer.

The Gunners needed someone to replace Jakub Kiwior, who left the club to join Porto in a similar deal, and Arteta chose the Ecuador international.

Before Hincapie joined Arsenal, he worked with Alonso at Leverkusen.

The defender played 121 times under the Spaniard and helped the German side win the Bundesliga title in the 2023/24 campaign.

Now, Alonso has raved about Hincapie and has branded him as a ‘warrior’.

He said, as per Extra: “I have a lot of appreciation for him. It was a pleasure to train him. Piero is a modern defender, very adaptable and with great reading of the game.

“He has more confidence with the ball and is improving his decision-making. Now, we see him playing precise diagonal passes and making those runs from behind.

“For me, he is not just an emperor; he is a warrior. He has a constant commitment to his work and an ambition that infects the team. He is a top-level player!”

Mikel Arteta spoke to Xabi Alonso before signing Piero Hincapie for Arsenal

Arteta and Alonso know each other very well.

The two Spaniards grew up together in the Basque region and were even teammates at Real Sociedad. They are friends to this day and share a great relationship.

After signing Hincapie for the Gunners, the Arsenal manager revealed that he had a chat with Alonso about the Ecuadorian.

He said, as per the Evening Standard: “Yes, for sure [I spoke to Alonso], I had to. Someone like him that I know so well, trust him, and who had him for a few years, it is very valuable information to have.

“He [Alonso] was super complimentary of him [Hincapie] for many different reasons, and it was good to confirm what I saw, and some of the things that you obviously learn from that conversation that you probably were not very aware of.”