Arsenal have been busy transfer bees over the past week, with the latest player thought to be on the verge of a Gunners move being Piero Hincapie.
There’s also a younger [option on the list in Palmeiras’ Benedetti](https://sportwitness.co.uk/arsenal-only-want-to-pay-e10m-for-19-year-old-gunners-e5m-short-of-asking-price/), which would be one for the future rather than the present.
Hincapie signed for Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 and won the double with the German club in the 2023/24 season. Last season he made 45 appearances as the Bundesliga side finished second. Most of those appearances were as a centre back, with the Ecuador international also able to play on the left.
As Arsenal work to snatch him from Bayer Leverkusen, [Kicker](https://www.kicker.de/trotz-ausstiegsklausel-arsenal-pokert-mit-bayer-um-hincapie-deal-1141041/artikel#twfeed) report the Premier League club are ‘gambling’ in negotiations, with the German source stating: _‘Arsenal FC wants to sign Piero Hincapie. Despite his release clause, the Gunners are arguing with Bayer over more than just the terms of the transfer fee.’_
Hincapie’s release clause is €65m, however, Arsenal don’t want to pay that. The Gunners are trying to drag Bayer Leverkusen down in negotiations, but Kicker make it clear the German club are _‘unwilling and unable’_ to do that.
The reasoning is that they’ve already seen the back of six members of that double winning squad this summer, not to mention manager Xabi Alonso going to Real Madrid.
Fans are already angry that Hincapie’s release clause is even valid at this stage of the window. Many clauses have a date cut-off, usually prior to August, to allow time to replace a player.
Bayer Leverkusen are under pressure for having allowed an open date clause, so if they then sell for less than that amount it’s expected simmering fan anger could boil over.
Kicker explain what Erik ten Hag’s side had negotiated with Hincapie’s camp is a ‘dynamic’ clause, which means the defender is more expensive now than he would have been at the start of this summer, or indeed at the start of next.
There’s some hope for Arsenal, especially in terms of spreading the payment.
Kicker state: _‘Voluntarily releasing Hincapie now would send a fatal signal after losing several key players. Nevertheless, there’s good reason for Bayer to sit down with Arsenal at the negotiating table now. If an agreement is reached quickly, Bayer can begin implementing the necessary replacement sooner. This could make things less complicated than if Arsenal were to trigger the clause on deadline day.’_
Arsenal could even be given the option of a loan with a €65m purchase obligation.
Why would Bayer Leverkusen allow that?
Well, it means they’d be able to count the transfer fee on the next set of accounts, with enough brought in already this summer: _‘The idea is particularly evident in the transfer of Matej Kovar . The goalkeeper’s loan to PSV Eindhoven, initially bringing in a fee of only €500k, will almost certainly become a fixed transfer in 2026 for €5m plus bonuses (champions PSV Eindhoven are not allowed to be relegated). This structure was chosen to keep the profit, which ultimately has to be paid to the parent company Bayer AG at the end of the year, and the taxes payable on the profit relatively low._
_‘If Arsenal are willing to pay the €65m for Hincapie, among other options, it is also conceivable that the transfer fee for the defender will not be paid until 2026 – but at least in the amount of the release clause.’_