Mikel Arteta is getting his hands on another defender after Arsenal agreed to pay £45million for Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie.
This is according to The Athletic‘s David Ornstein, who was first to break the news of a full agreement between Arsenal and Leverkusen.
Personal terms were agreed earlier this week, with the Ecuadorian international ready to sign a five-year contract.
All that was left was for the two clubs to agree a fee, with rumours suggesting that it would be an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy.
This is the preferred agreement for Leverkusen and Arsenal, who would both like to record the fee on next year’s books.
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The Gunners did the same with Brentford in 2023, agreeing to sign goalkeeper David Raya for a £3m loan fee, completing the signing for £27m the following summer.
Arteta identified Hincapie as a possible defensive addition amid serious interest in left-footed centre-back Jakub Kiwior, who is set to join FC Porto over the weekend.
The signing of Hincapie relied on Kiwior leaving the club, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is also available and attracting interest from French side Marseille.
The 23-year-old is an excellent defensive addition for Arteta, who added Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera earlier this summer.
Ornstein adds that the Leverkusen star has ‘featured prominently among Arsenal’s targets for some time’ and the €52million (£45million) deal includes a 10 per cent sell-on clause.
Hincapie should travel to London this weekend to complete a medical and sign his long-term contract.
The Ecuadorian extended his Bayer contract to 2029 last December but informed the club of his desire to leave this summer, ‘preferring’ a switch to the Emirates.
Arteta has baffled fans with his excessive defensive signings over the years, but Hincapie does make a lot of sense considering the Kiwior and Zinchenko situations.
The deal will not be without its ridicule, though. There has been a wild emphasis on defensive reinforcements during the Spaniard’s tenure, and Hincapie will become the 13th defender he has signed in almost six years in charge.
Some have been fantastic, others have been pointless. The best is hands down Gabriel Magalhaes, while Benjamin White, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have also impressed.
In terms of the pointless, Auston Trusty comes to mind, as does Pablo Mari.
The days of Mari partnering Rob Holding are long gone. Arsenal’s defensive depth is now frankly absurd.
Arteta’s favoured back four appears to be Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel and Calafiori, with White, Mosquera, Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly providing outstanding depth.
Arteta has also signed seven goalkeepers. That high number looks even more outrageous when you realise he’s only signed eight forwards.
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