Bayer Leverkusen have made a surprising decision regarding soon-to-be Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie. Hincapie is set to join the Gunners on a season-long loan with an option to buy for £45million.
A medical is expected to be arranged shortly, and he could make his debut for Mikel Arteta's side against Nottingham Forest following the international break. The 23-year-old secured his switch from Argentine Premier League outfit Talleres to Leverkusen in August 2021 and has since made quite the impact in Germany. With 166 appearances for Leverkusen under his belt, along with seven goals and three trophies - including the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 season - Hincapie is certainly one to monitor.
However, despite his impending arrival in North London - Leverkusen have chosen to name the Ecuadorian on the bench for Saturday's Bundesliga encounter at Werder Bremen. The German outfit are managed by former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag and will be seeking to bounce back from an opening day loss to Hoffenheim.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference about Hincapie's future, Ten Hag said: "I won't take it into consideration, but there are always rumours. On Tuesday, we'll know what it looks like.
"We have good players, so there's always a lot of interest. If you ask Piero, he'll travel to Bremen."
Arsenal have until 7pm BST on Monday, 1 September, to finalise a deal. The Gunners have already splashed out over £250m on seven new recruits in the summer transfer window, with Hincapie expected to be their last addition.
The defender will face stiff competition for a regular spot in Arteta's squad. So far, the Arsenal boss has relied on William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori to start both Premier League matches this season, while Ben White was replaced by Jurrien Timber due to injury.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Cristhian Mosquera are also waiting in the wings, so Hincapie will have plenty of competition. He'll be vying for a place on the left side of the defence, an area where Arteta has been keen to bolster his options to provide competition and enhance his current squad.