Arsenal have taken massive strides in the summer transfer window by completing eight signings in this period to close the gap with Premier League champions Liverpool.
The Gunners made their eighth signing when they snapped up former Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapie on loan with an obligation to buy to strengthen their backline.
The Ecuadorian provides versatility with his ability to slot in at centre-back and also at left-back and is known for his athleticism, passing range, 1v1 defending and awareness.
He was reportedly chased by several clubs including Arsenal’s city rivals, Tottenham Hotspur but the 23-year-old made up his mind to move to the Emirates when he heard the Gunners were interested in him.
“It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I’m over the moon,” Hincapie told in his interaction with Arsenal media team.
“I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season. I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that’s the most important thing.”
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The Ecuador international was a big piece of the puzzle at Bayer Leverkusen especially during Xabi Alonso’s reign as they won the Bundesliga undefeated and also clinched the DFB Pokal.
There were some reports suggesting that Alonso wanted Hincapie at the Spanish capital, but Real Madrid hierarchy pushed for Alvaro Carreras.
Hincapie revealed ex-Arsenal star Granit Xhaka’s role in convincing him
Granit Xhaka continues to serve for Arsenal even after years of leaving the club. The Swiss midfielder once again proved to be the common factor in this case as he was a part of the Leverkusen team that won the Bundesliga under Alonso.
Hence, Hincapie revealed that he has had conversations with the veteran midfielder about Arsenal.
“We’d speak a lot but not about [Arsenal]. However, I asked him about Arsenal at one point, and I queried him about how things were here.
“He spoke wonders about the club and how he felt during his spell here. I loved the conversation that we had at that point, and it wasn’t that recent. He did send me a message recently, though. He always spoke well of the club.”
Arsenal only allowed Jakub Kiwior to move to FC Porto after they had a deal in place for Hincapie. Later, they also sanctioned a late loan deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko to join Nottingham Forest.
The 23-year-old versatile defender will look to fight for his place as he already has a lot of competition at the Emirates, and it will be interesting to see how Mikel Arteta integrates him in his system.
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