FOOTBALL
By Eishna Rawat
Posted on June 29, 2026 10:00 pm | Updated on June 29, 2026 3:57 pm The Ecuadorian defender joins Arsenal permanently after a title-winning season on loan.
Arsenal
ARSENAL
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Arsenal have sealed the permanent transfer of Piero Hincapie this summer, triggering their option to buy after an impressive loan season. The latest news from Arsenal confirms the £34.5m deal is done. The Ecuadorian will join on a long-term contract through 2031.
Piero Hincapie Completes Permanent Move to Arsenal
As reported by Arsenal.com, the club has activated the option to sign Piero Hincapie permanently from Bayer Leverkusen. The move takes effect from July 1. The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at the Emirates and was a key part of the side that ended a 22-year wait for the league title.
He made 39 appearances across all competitions during his debut campaign. The defensive unit he was part of has now conceded the fewest goals across the last three Premier League seasons. For a club that has long prided itself on defensive solidity under Mikel Arteta, that is a record worth protecting, and keeping him was the obvious way to do it.
He also won the club’s Player of the Month award twice in February and April. It showed how much he had grown into the role and how important he had become to the squad.
A Debut Season That Made the Decision Easy
Piero Hincapie made his debut in a 2-0 Champions League win away to Athletic Club in September 2025. From there, his first season in English football only continued to improve. He scored his only goal of the campaign in a draw away to Wolves in February, the same month he picked up his first Player of the Month honour.
As reported by ESPN, he also earned the nod to start the Champions League final against PSG. The north London side led early but eventually lost on penalties. It was a painful end to what was otherwise a historic campaign. Starting that final said everything about where he stood in Arteta’s plans by the end of the season.
Piero Hincapie for Arsenal in 2025/26, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Duels Won Tackles Interceptions
Premier League 25 100 48 26
FA Cup 3 16 8 1
UCL 10 41 21 9
There was real competition for his spot throughout the year. Riccardo Calafiori pushed him hard for the left-back berth. The fact that he came out on top in that battle and started the biggest game of the season underlines the trust Arteta had placed in him. The club tied him down to a five-year deal at £34.5m. Given everything he delivered, it was an easy decision to make.
The Journey That Brought Piero Hincapie to North London
Piero Hincapie began his career with Independiente del Valle in Ecuador. He came through their youth system and won the U20 Copa Libertadores in 2020. Later that year, he made the move to Talleres in Argentina, where he put together 22 appearances in one season. It was a short stint, but it was more than enough to attract attention from the Bundesliga.
He joined Bayer Leverkusen in August 2021 and went on to make 166 appearances across four seasons. Leverkusen went the entire 2023-24 domestic season without a single defeat, claiming their first-ever Bundesliga title in the process. It was the kind of achievement that put him on the radar of clubs across Europe.
He has captained Ecuador at the under-17 level and has since gone on to earn 54 senior caps, as reported by Yahoo Sports. He has represented his country at four major tournaments, including the 2026 World Cup currently underway. At just 24, the Gunners are getting a player who has already accumulated a great deal of experience and is still nowhere near his peak.
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Eishna Rawat
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