Arsenal have received a formal offer from Porto to sign defender Jakub Kiwior.
The Gunners are planning to bring in a new central defender before the transfer window closes.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie is the prime target, and negotiations are underway for him.
The German outfit want his €60 million release clause to be triggered or matched, but Hincapie has personally requested the hierarchy to accept €45m for his potential transfer.
Amidst this, Fabrizio Romano reports that the Gunners have received an official bid on the table from Porto for Kiwior, who has already agreed personal terms with the Portuguese side.
The Primeira Liga outfit have proposed a loan deal with an obligation to buy. They are prepared to pay in excess of €25 million, including add-ons, to purchase the Poland international.
Kiwior’s exit will pave the way for Hincapie’s signature
Kiwior has been angling for a move away from the Gunners for some time.
The 25-year-old has been a quality deputy behind William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence, but he has his sights on playing regular first-team football in the prime of his career.
Arsenal seem prepared to sanction his departure, having identified Hincapie as his replacement. The Ecuadorian is only 23 years of age and would be a good upgrade with his defensive attributes.
Hincapie and Kiwior are good with the ball at their feet, but the former won twice the number of duels in the league last season (5.2 to 2.4). He made more recoveries and tackles per game too.
Like Kiwior, Hincapie can comfortably operate from the left-back position.
Arsenal should ideally look for €30m or more to offload Kiwior, but with the transfer deadline approaching, the club could accept Porto’s proposal to speed up talks to land Hincapie.
Hincapie is ‘fully sold‘ on the project. If Leverkusen refuse to lower their price tag, Arsenal could seek to negotiate a loan deal with an obligation to buy during the summer of 2026.
Stats from Sofascore.com