Arsenal have secured the services of Bayer Leverkusen’s versatile defender Piero Hincapié, marking a historic moment as the first Ecuadorian to join the Gunners.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old, known for his ability to play as a left-sided centre-back or left-back, arrives on a season-long loan with a €52 million obligation-to-buy clause set to activate in June 2026, including a 10 per cent sell-on clause for Leverkusen.
Hincapié, who made 166 appearances for Leverkusen and contributed to their unbeaten 2023-24 Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double, brings pace, aggression, and strong build-up play to Mikel Arteta’s squad.
With 46 caps for Ecuador, he strengthens Arsenal’s defense alongside William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, and new signing Cristhian Mosquera.
The transfer facilitates Jakub Kiwior’s €27 million move to Porto, streamlining the Gunners’ backline.
He said, “Piero Hincapié signs in as new Arsenal defender from B. Leverkusen Agreement done for €52m fee on loan with obligation clause set to be triggered as formal step in June 2026. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐄𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.”
Hincapié’s medical is imminent, with a potential debut after the international break.