Arsenal have confirmed that defender Piero Hincapie has joined the club permanently after they activated his option-to-buy clause.
The purchase option price for Hincapie is reportedly in the region of £34.5 million. The 24-year-old has now signed a five-year contract.
Hincapie initially joined Arsenal on a loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen last summer and went on to play a key role in their Premier League triumph.
The announcement ends speculations surrounding the centre-back’s future.
Hincapie has been linked with Real Madrid this summer. They reportedly made an enquiry about his availability, with manager Jose Mourinho pushing to sign a left-footed centre-back.
Hincapie enjoyed a brilliant debut campaign
The Ecuadorian defender debuted in the 2 -0 win at Athletic Club in the Champions League back in September 2025. He went on to make 39 appearances across all competitions, scoring just once.
With Gabriel and William Saliba being the first-choice centre-back pairing, Hincapie was used mostly as a left-back, playing 22 times in that role.
Described as ‘tenacious‘, Hincapie is a front-footed defender. He averaged 2.1 tackles per game in the league last season — the most of any Arsenal player.
Only Declan Rice and William Saliba recorded more interceptions per appearance, while he ranked fourth for clearances per game.
Despite his proactive defensive style, Hincapie is disciplined, receiving just three yellow cards.
The Ecuadorian was named Arsenal’s Player of the Month twice in both February and April, underlining the impact he made last term.
Hincapie was named in Ecuador’s World Cup squad for the 2026 World Cup. He started the opening two games of the South American side.
Manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping Hincapie can pick up where he left off next season
Stats from transfermarkt.com & sofascore.com