Arsenal Sign Ecuadorian Defender Piero Hincapie

Arsenal have signed Ecuador international Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan with an option to buy for £45m. The 23-year-old, who has 166 appearances and was part of Leverkusen’s 2023-24 Bundesliga and German Cup-winning squad, joins as a replacement for Jakub Kiwior. He becomes Mikel Arteta’s eighth summer signing.

When the summer transfer window closed, Arsenal secured the signing of Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan with an option to buy. The deal includes a £45 million fee should Arsenal choose to make the move permanent next year. Hincapie, 23, made 166 appearances for Leverkusen since joining in 2021 and was part of the squad that won both the Bundesliga and German Cup in the 2023-24 season.

He will wear the number five jersey and becomes Mikel Arteta’s eighth signing of the summer, following Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera, and Eberechi Eze. Arteta praised Hincapie’s physical presence, versatility, and tactical flexibility, highlighting his combination of youth and maturity as an asset to strengthen Arsenal’s squad.

The arrival of Hincapie has also allowed the club to loan Polish defender Jakub Kiwior to Porto, positioning Hincapie as a direct replacement. In addition, Arsenal sanctioned two midfield departures to Hamburg: Fabio Vieira joined on a season-long loan, while Sambi Lokonga completed a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee. Hincapie’s addition is seen as a key step in bolstering Arsenal’s defensive options as they compete in the Premier League this season.