Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen have both confirmed that Piero Hincapie has left the BayArena to link up with the Gunners.
The Ecuador international has joined Arsenal on a season-long loan with an option to buy for £45million.
Arsenal have made numerous key additions this summer, spending close to £300million in the market to improve the options for Mikel Arteta.
Piero Hincapie is likely to be the final signing for Arsenal this summer, with confirmation of his move coming not long after Monday’s 7pm deadline.
Leverkusen sent a heartfelt farewell message to Hincapie in which they predicted how he would fare in the Premier League.
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Bayer Leverkusen suggest Piero Hincapie will do well at Arsenal
Leverkusen announced Hincapie’s departure on Monday night around the same time as Arsenal made their own announcement on their socials.
The Bundesliga club admitted that they would miss Hincapie, before confirming that he had joined the Gunners on a deal with obligation to buy.
“Best of luck in the Prem,” they added, before confidently saying: “You’ve got this!”
Leverkusen’s comment suggests they think Hincapie will be a hit in the Premier League – and he’s certainly got the credentials for it.
In addition, Leverkusen also shared footage of Hincapie saying goodbye to the fans on Saturday, saying he will “forever be remembered as a double winner” at the club.
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What Piero Hincapie will bring to Arsenal
Hincapie’s arrival strengthens Arsenal’s defence further, to the point that they can effectively field two different starting XIs of players who can do the business at the highest level.
The left-sided centre-back can cover for Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back, or he can replace Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.
Indeed, Hincapie can even play further up on the left side of midfield.
At 23 years of age, Hincapie already has 166 Leverkusen appearances and 46 Ecuador caps under his belt, along with four senior trophies including the 2023/24 Bundesliga title.
The Bundesliga website has described Hincapie as a versatile, left-footed player who is tenacious and comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The December 2024 feature article compared him to Paris Saint-Germain and France defender Lucas Hernandez, one of the best defenders of his generation.
Indeed, they even claimed that Hincapie was ahead of the 2018 World Cup winner in terms of slide tackles, aerial challenges and passes in the Bundesliga.
Here is everything you need to know about Piero Hincapie.
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