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Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has expressed a desire to keep Arsenal target Piero Hincapie at the Bay Arena beyond the summer. The Gunners are apparently looking for further defensive reinforcements despite roping in Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia last month.
The north London side have been quite busy this summer, and have added seven new faces to Mikel Arteta's roster so far. However, it now appears Arsenal's business in the current transfer window is far from over.
With Jakub Kiwior close to a loan move to Porto, and Oleksandr Zinchenko's future also uncertain, the Gunners have apparently turned to Hincapie. The Ecuadorian has been outstanding for Bayer Leverkusen in recent seasons, and is equally adept at operating at left center-back and full-back positions.
As such, Hincapie could help replace both Kiwior and Zinchenko at the Emirates, making him a lucrative option for Mikel Arteta. After completing a move to Eberechi Eze, the north London side have apparently turned to the 23-year-old defender, who has a £52m release clause in his deal.
However, speaking to RTL/ntv and Sport, Rolfes insisted that Bayer Leverkusen are yet to receive an offer for their prized asset.
“We still haven’t received an official offer from any club, so he’s our player. That’s the status quo. He knows that we value him highly and would like to see him continue with us,” said Rolfes.
Tottenham Hotspur are also eyeing Hincapie, but the player reportedly prefers a move to Arsenal.
Have Arsenal received a boost in their pursuit of Rodrygo Goes?
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Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo Goes' omission from the latest Brazil squad for the upcoming internationals could help in Arsenal's pursuit of the player, according to journalist Graeme Bailey. The 24-year-old is surplus to requirements at Real Madrid and remains linked with an exit this summer.
Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey added that Los Blancos are likely to let Rodrygo leave for the right offer this summer.
“I am told that Rodrygo has been edging towards England and this decision from Ancelotti has been seriously noted by Arsenal, Man City and the intermediaries working on this deal. This is a World Cup year and Real have already told his camp that they won’t stand in his way if the right offer comes in,” said Bailey.
Rodrygo has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso, who took charge at Real Madrid in May. The Gunners are reportedly planning a loan move for the Brazilian this summer.
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.
Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.
Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.
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