Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie this summer.
The Gunners are looking to add another versatile defender to Mikel Arteta’s ranks after it was revealed that Jakub Kiwior is likely to leave for Porto or AC Milan.
The Pole is eager to exit North London and move somewhere where he’ll play regular football, and Andrea Berta is willing to cash in on him.
Hincapie has now been identified as a replacement for Kiwior, with the Gunners expected to launch a formal offer for the Ecuadorian.
With that said, here are four Arsenal players who would be impacted by the signing of Hincapie.
Winners from Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie
Eberechi Eze
Arsenal signed Eberechi Eze for £67.5 million late last week.
While fans are ecstatic about the addition of the Crystal Palace star, there have been some question marks about where he fits into Arteta’s team.
The left-winger in the Spaniard’s system is required to remain wide and hug the touchline, a role which doesn’t showcase Eze’s best attributes.
However, this could change with the signing of Hincapie, who has often been used as an overlapping full-back, with his pace and ability to power forward and towards the by-line exceptional facets of his game.
This would allow Eze to play further inside, thus maximising his strengths.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel Magalhaes has been overplayed in the last two or three seasons at Arsenal.
The Brazilian has been relied upon to play almost every match in every competition for the Gunners, and he subsequently suffered a serious hamstring injury towards the end of the last campaign.
Hincapie will provide Arteta with a quality option whom he trusts to give Gabriel some respite.
The former Lille man will finally be able to sit on the bench from time to time, with the Ecuador international filling in for him.
Losers from Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie
Riccardo Calafiori
If Kiwior leaves, then Riccardo Calafiori, who Arsenal bought for £34 million last summer, will be the next man up at left-centre-back for the Gunners.
However, if Hincapie then arrives in N5, then the Italian’s prospects of featuring in this role immediately diminish.
He’ll also have another competitor to contend with at left-back, and potentially another full-back who can do some of the offensive things that he brings to the team, but to a higher level.
Overall, Hincapie’s presence in Arsenal’s squad almost makes Calafiori redundant.
Myles Lewis-Skelly
Like Calafiori, Hincapie’s arrival just provides Myles Lewis-Skelly with another player who can operate in his position whom he has to compete with for minutes.
While the Leverkusen man likely can’t invert into midfield in the way that the Hale End graduate is able to, it appears Arteta may be moving away from this mould of full-back, given he’s signed Eze as a winger and is favouring Calafiori at the start of this season.
All of a sudden, Lewis-Skelly’s place in the team at Arsenal is under threat.
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