Arsenal are interested in signing Piero Hincapie before next week’s summer transfer window deadline.
The Bayer Leverkusen centre-back is a target for Mikel Arteta for the left-hand side of his defence, but Standard Sport understands a deal may hinge on the Gunners making space in the first-team squad.
As reported earlier this month, Arsenal hope to shift both Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Porto are expected to bid for the Polish defender this week.
Kiwior, 25, has been with Arsenal since 2023, arriving from Spezia for around £20million, and he has offered cover at left-back and in the heart of defence.
While impressing during Gabriel’s injury-enforced absence at the end of last season, Kiwior has otherwise failed to nail down a regular spot in the first team.
Albert Sambi Lokonga, Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein and Reiss Nelson are all also available.
Hincapie has a €60million (£52m) release clause in his contract with Leverkusen, which runs until 2029.
Tottenham have previously been linked with the 23-year-old, but Standard Sport understands reports of interest in the player this summer are false as the club focuses on attacking reinforcements.
Eberechi Eze was in talks to become Spurs’ headline summer signing until the Gunners hijacked the deal last week with an 11th-hour bid. The boyhood Arsenal fan was paraded in front of fans at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal, and new sporting director Andrea Berta, have enjoyed a fruitful summer, with Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera joining Eze in north London.
A deal for Hincapie would send Arsenal's summer spending well beyond the £300m mark.
