Arsenal are working on a deal to sign central defender Piero Hincapie this summer, though the potential signing will depend on outgoings.
On Monday morning, Fabrizio Romano broke the news that Tottenham Hotspur had approached Bayer Leverkusen for Piero Hincapie with a new bid, offering a loan deal with an obligation to buy at around €60m (£52m) in 2026.
Romano added that Hincapie wants to leave Leverkusen and Spurs have started discussing personal terms, but it wasn’t long before there was a twist.
Less than an hour later, David Ornstein reported for The Athletic that Arsenal were working to sign Hincapie as well, with the player prioritising Arsenal over Spurs. The Gunners have reportedly had him on their shortlist for some time, and now appears to be the opportunity to make their move.
But Arsenal’s pursuit of Hincapie isn’t straightforward. Ornstein adds that the deal would be subject to player exits, and that efforts are ongoing to bring the €60m price down.
Jakub Kiwior’s situation could be key, with FC Porto strongly pursuing the centre-back in recent days. The Athletic report that Porto are still after the defender, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson could also leave.
Ornstein also confirms that Hincapie wants to leave Leverkusen, and he’s informed his club of that desire. But they’d prefer to keep him unless his release clause is activated.
As well as Ornstein, Ben Jacobs reports that Hincapie prefers Arsenal to Spurs, adding that Kiwior’s potential move to Porto is what prompted the Gunners to work on a move.
Fabrizio Romano confirms that Arsenal have joined Spurs in making an approach to Leverkusen, with no official bid yet.
23-year-old Hincapie can play at centre-back or at left-back, the kind of versatility that always seems to be appreciated by Mikel Arteta. The likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White, Jurrien Timber, and Cristhian Mosquera can all play centrally or in the full-back positions.
Bild had reported in their print edition on Monday, August 25th that Arsenal had a concrete interest in Hincapie, also putting Chelsea in the mix. For the time being, there’s no suggestion that Chelsea have also approached Bayer Leverkusen.