Arsenal have finalised the signing of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié on an initial loan deal.
Hincapié asked to leave Leverkusen, who sacked manager Erik ten Hag on Deadline Day, earlier this summer and was initially a target for Tottenham Hotspur, but Arsenal soon established control in the race for his signature. Hincapié will wear the No. 5 shirt.
The Gunners reached an agreement with Leverkusen to sign Hincapié at the weekend, paying a loan fee of €6 million (£5.2 million, $7 million), but there were conflicting reports over whether the purchase clause in the deal, set at €46 million, was optional or obligatory.
After undergoing a medical in London, Hincapié put pen to paper on his Arsenal contract on Monday to become the eighth addition of what has been a hectic transfer window for Mikel Arteta’s side. A move that comes in the wake of William Saliba suffering an ankle injury in the warm-up against Liverpool.
“At only 23, Piero already has significant experience, both in the Bundesliga and at international level. He is an intelligent defender with real strength and versatility. His performances in recent years for both club and country have been of a consistent high quality, and we are confident Piero will continue to grow this season and be an important player for us,” sporting director Andrea Berta said in the announcement.
“Piero has a real physical presence, with his versatility and tactical flexibility giving us strong added defensive options. He is a big character, with a very good combination of both youth and maturity. He will make our squad stronger and more competitive as we continue into this season,” manager Mikel Arteta added.
The final piece of the puzzle 🧩
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 1, 2025
Piero Hincapie is a Gunner 🤝 pic.twitter.com/eqLasc4AVz
A left-sided defender, Hincapié is a natural centre back but has experience playing on the left of the back line, potentially offering another option as an inverted full back.
Hincapié joins Cristhian Mosquera in reinforcing Arsenal’s back line but most of the Gunners’ transfer budget has been spent further forward on the pitch.
Viktor Gyökeres became the headline signing when he completed a £63.5 million move from Sporting CP, but Eberechi Eze’s £67.5 million switch from Crystal Palace could be the most expensive move of Arsenal’s window if all add-ons are met.
Martín Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga have all completed moves to Arsenal as well, with Arteta looking to bolster his squad in the hope of finally getting his hands on the Premier League title.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘We Are Confident’—Piero Hincapie Completes Loan Move to Arsenal, Shirt Number Revealed.
