Jose Mourinho isn't wasting time after returning as Real Madrid manager, snapping up four players to bolster their squad, and now an Arsenal defender is next on his shopping list
Jose Mourinho, head coach of SL Benfica, looks on during the Primeira Liga match between SL Benfica and Vitoria SC at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 21, 2026. (Photo by Valter Gouveia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has been busy in the transfer market(Image: Valter Gouveia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Arsenal star Piero Hincapie is a target for Real Madrid as Jose Mourinho looks to continue his spending spree. Mourinho, whose sensational return to the Bernabeu was confirmed earlier this month, has already signed four new players for a combined £68million.
Real have completed deals for full-backs Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries, and brought in Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate on free transfers. Despite three of those being defenders, Mourinho isn't stopping there.
Los Blancos' new boss wants a left-footed centre-back who can also play as a left-back. Hincapie, 24, fits that profile and ESPN report that Real have made an enquiry.
Any deal would be complicated by the fact that Arsenal only signed Hincapie on loan from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, with an obligation to buy for £45m. A permanent move is yet to be confirmed, although it's anticipated that the Ecuador international will return from the World Cup as an Arsenal player.
Real would also need to make room for Hincapie's arrival. Mourinho already has five centre-backs in his current squad, namely Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Raul Asencio and Konate.
The report adds that Real will listen to offers for Asencio, whose departure could be the key to unlock Hincapie's arrival. Over the course of the season, the 24-year-old established himself as a regular starter for Arsenal and had Mikel Arteta raving about him.
"He's been extremely dominant in all the defensive actions," the Arsenal manager hailed in February. "He understands what we want in the attacking part as well much better. All the set-pieces, all the aspects that are relative to the game model that we have.
Piero Hincapie of Arsenal FC gestures during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Arsenal FC at Puskas Arena on May 30, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary (Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Piero Hincapie is wanted by Real Madrid(Image: Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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"He's very much liked amongst the players. You can see that, the way they interact and react with him. So I'm very pleased that he's showing that up."
Hincapie isn't the player on Real's shortlist, though. He's joined by Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni and Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck.
The World Cup hasn't gone to plan so far for Hincapie and Ecuador. After losing their opening game in Group E 1-0 to Ivory Coast in stoppage time, Ecuador were held to a 0-0 draw against Curacao, meaning that they'll almost certainly need to beat Germany in order to progress.
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