Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants to trigger the option to sign Piero Hincapie permanently this summer.
The Gunners signed the Ecuador international on transfer deadline day in September on a season-long loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen.
Andrea Berta negotiated a really shrewd deal to sign the defender on a temporary deal and then included a clause that gave Arsenal the option to sign him permanently in the summer of 2026.
Now, Arteta has made up his mind, and all signs point towards a permanent summer arrival.
KEEP, BENCH and SELL: Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis Skelly
Rank Arsenal's three left-back options…
Piero Hincapie has already agreed personal terms as Mikel Arteta demands permanent Arsenal signing
Piero Hincapie has been fantastic for Arsenal in recent weeks.
The Bayer Leverkusen loanee had a tough start to life at the Emirates. He picked up an injury that sidelined him for a few weeks early on and had to wait for an opportunity.
Since the end of November, however, Hincapie has played almost every single game in the Premier League and has been very impressive.
TeamTalk have revealed that Mikel Arteta and Arsenal’s coaching staff have been wowed by the Ecuadorian, so much so that the Gunners boss has made it clear that he wants Hincapie signed permanently.
That will only be a formality at the end of the season.
Arsenal can trigger Hincapie’s £45 million option-to-buy clause without any further negotiation, and there will be no problem with personal terms either.
That is because Berta reached an agreement over a five-year contract right when the defender joined the club on loan last summer.
So, barring a dramatic turn of events, the report claims that Hincapie will be Arsenal’s ‘first major signing of the summer window’.
You have £45m to spend on a defender, do you pay for Piero Hincapie or sign someone else?
Piero Hincapie’s long-term Arsenal future may not lie at left-back
Hincapie has solved a lot of problems for Arsenal this season.
The 24-year-old made his Gunners debut at left-back, but he was forced to play as a centre-half after Gabriel Magalhaes suffered an injury.
Since the Brazilian’s return, Hincapie has returned to left-back and has done an excellent job there. We expect him to play in the same role in the coming months.
However, in the long run, we think the Ecuador international will primarily be used as a left-centre-back, perhaps as Gabriel’s successor when he eventually decides to move on.
Either way, Hincapie has been outstanding for Arsenal, and the fact that he can produce top-level performances at both left-back and centre-back makes him an elite option to have.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
