Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie has moved to Arsenal on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with an option to buy him permanently for £45 million, Afrosport reports.
The 23-year-old joined Leverkusen from Argentine club Talleres in 2021 and played 166 times for the pharmaceutical-backed club, scoring seven goals and providing five assists.
He was part of the successful side that won a maiden Bundesliga title for Leverkusen in 2024, doing so unbeaten and also winning the German Cup and reaching the Europa League final.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, reacting to the club’s latest acquisition said: “We are so pleased to welcome Piero Hincapie to the club.
“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.
“We welcome Piero and his family to Arsenal.”
Meanwhile, Sporting Director Andrea Berta said: “We are delighted to have completed the loan signing for the season of Piero Hincapie.
“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.”
The final piece of the puzzle 🧩
Piero Hincapie is a Gunner 🤝 pic.twitter.com/eqLasc4AVz
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 1, 2025
Hincapie is the eighth summer signing for Arsenal after Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze.
On the departure side, Jorginho, Kieran Tierney, Thomas Partey, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Nuno Tavares and Marquinhos have all left permanently.
Albert Sambi Lokonga joined Hamburg permanently on Deadline Day while loan deals saw Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior join Brentford, Hamburg, Nottingham Forest and FC Porto respectively.
