Arsenal have strengthened their backline by signing Piero Hincapie on an initial season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen.
The deal for the Ecuadorian, who helped Leverkusen clinch a first-ever Bundesliga title triumph in 2023-24, includes the obligation for a permanent switch at the end of this campaign “if certain conditions are met”, Leverkusen announced.
Hincapie made 166 appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen after joining the German club four years ago and also won the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup as well as reaching the Europa League final in 2024.
The final piece of the puzzle 🧩
Piero Hincapie is a Gunner 🤝 pic.twitter.com/eqLasc4AVz
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 1, 2025
Primarily a centre-half who can also fill in at left-back, the 23-year-old is Arsenal’s eighth summer signing and has paved the way for Jakub Kiwior to join Porto on loan for the rest of the season.
“We are so pleased to welcome Piero Hincapie to the club,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on the club’s official website.
“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.”
William Saliba and Gabriel have been Arteta’s first-choice pairing at the heart of Arsenal’s defence in their first three Premier League games, with Cristhian Mosquera acting as back-up.
Mosquera was called into action after just five minutes in Sunday’s defeat by title rivals Liverpool, with Saliba withdrawn because of a twisted ankle he sustained in the warm-up at Anfield.
But in Hincapie they have a defender who has Champions League experience and has been capped 46 times by his country.
“He is an intelligent defender with real strength and versatility,” Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta said.
“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.”
