Piero Hincapie is expected to be Arsenal’s “first major signing” of the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Ecuadorian international is currently on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, with the Gunners paying a fee of around €6m (£5.2m) to keep him for the season.
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However, Mikel Arteta’s side have an option to buy Hincapie for €52m (£45m) this summer and TEAMtalk claim that the club are expected to trigger the purchase clause.
The defender has impressed with his performances in recent weeks, having established himself as a regular starter in the absence of the injured Riccardo Calafiori.
Hincapie’s flexibility makes him a real asset
While the 24-year-old is not an out-and-out left-back, he has been deployed there on a regular basis by Arteta, and he has embraced the challenge.
Hincapie’s initial performances were nothing to write home about, but he has slowly but surely adapted to the new position.
The Ecuadorian got his first assist of the season with his cross for Noni Madueke’s opener against Brentford earlier this month, and he scored his first goal for the club in the subsequent fixture against Wolves.
The decision could impact other Arsenal players
If Hincapie does stay at the Emirates, and he becomes a regular fixture at left-back, it does raise questions about the futures of both Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Calafiori is currently available, but he has suffered a series of injuries over the last eighteen months that have prompted concerns about his durability.
Lewis-Skelly, meanwhile, appears to be third or even fourth choice for his favoured role on the left-hand side of defence. It has been a very difficult campaign for the teenager, who impressed observers following his first-team breakthrough in 2024. A loan move could well be on the cards in the summer.
Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here