Arsenal look set to beat north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur to a major signing for the second time in the space of week, following a crucial breakthrough in talks with Piero Hincapié.
Spurs, having seen Eberechi Eze swiped from under their nose by the Gunners after being agreeing a deal with Crystal Palace, were keen on the Bayer Leverkusen centre back and looked to be making progress towards a deal that would eventually be worth €60 million (£51.8 million, $69.9 million).
But barely any sooner had news broken of a loan with obligation to buy proposal put to Leverkusen, Arsenal were reported to also be working on their own deal for the Ecuador international.
It was then suggested that Hincapié preferred the Arsenal option and, now, Fabrizio Romano has reported that personal terms with the 23-year-old are agreed. A long-term contract is said to be ready to sign once an offer to Leverkusen is successful, which the Gunners are currently preparing—likely a loan with obligation to buy that promises the Bundesliga side a handsome windfall in the future but keeps the initial costs of any deal low for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s side are also thought to be in the process of offloading existing centre back Jakub Kiwior to Porto in a transfer that should reach €20 million after an initial loan.
Developed by the same Ecuadorian club that produced Moisés Caicedo, Kendry Páez and Willian Pacho, Hincapié has played his club football in Europe since joining Leverkusen in 2021. He has made 166 appearances with the German side and was a Bundesliga champion in 2023–24.
His potential arrival at Arsenal will boost the squad’s centre back depth and likely see him become the first point of cover behind William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães. Summer arrival Cristhian Mosquera is the other main option, while Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurriën Timber, despite primarily used as full backs, are all also capable of playing centrally.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Reach Major ‘Breakthrough’ in Piero Hincapie Pursuit.
