Arsenal have officially announced the capture of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen on an initial loan deal with a significant purchase option included.
Arsenal have officially announced the signing of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen. The Gunners will bring in the Ecuadorian international as their eighth and final signing of the summer, which caps off an incredible recruitment drive under sporting director Andrea Berta.
Arsenal have secured the services of Pieo Hincapie, the versatile defender from Bayer Leverkusen, on an initial loan deal. The left-sided defender was pushing to leave the Bundesliga giants in favour of a move to the North London club.
Arsenal have formally announced his arrival, with the defender joining the club on an initial loan deal with a significant buy option attached with the agreement. Ben Jacobs confirmed the buy option as €52 million, although the Gunners are also paying a significant loan fee, included in that figure.
Piero Hincapie joins as Arsenal’s eighth signing of the summer transfer window, and as mentioned by the club, could be the missing piece of Mikel Arteta’s jigsaw puzzle. The Ecuadorian will come in to compete for a place on the left-hand side of the defender, either for the left-back slot or centrally.
Arsenal were swift in agreeing a deal with Bayer Leverkusen, and while Die Werkself wanted them to trigger his €60 million release clause, Andrea Berta found a way to reduce the asking price. The €52 million bu option is significantly lower than his previous release clause, and to make matters better, Berta has also structured the payment.
Arsenal’s unprecedented summer window
The Hincapie arrival marks the end of an unprecedented summer window under the leadership of Berta. The Gunners signed Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta expressed his delight at the completion of the move, saying, “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.”
Hincapie not only strengthens their solid backline but adds a layer of dynamism possibly missing from their defensive setup. The idea of a loan with a buy option will effectively allow both clubs to register the financial aspects of this deal in their accounts for next year, which is seen as beneficial for all parties concerned.
