Arsenal players are making their presence felt all over the place, up and down the 2026 World Cup in North America. Gunners are making an impact, right now, for numerous countries in this tournament. One such example is central defender Piero Hincapie, who has started and played all 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s World Cup matches thus far.
Arsenal Transfer Talk: Morgan Rogers, Bradley Barcola, Christos Tzolis
Hincapie made 20 starts for Arsenal in Premier League competition last season, as he was a key contributor for the North Londoners’ historic title-winning campaign.
However, the 24-year-old was not an everyday starter (obviously) at Arsenal, but there are lots of big clubs out there who would love to have him as a first team regular.
Would he be a first team center half at Real Madrid though?
Would new manager Jose Mourinho rate him as such? What we do know for sure is that the Bernabeu is interested, as they have inquired on Hincapie, multiple sources have said told ESPN FC.
As the ESPN report points out, however, a “deal would be complicated” given that Arsenal only signed him from Bayer Leverkusen last summer on a loan, with an obligation to buy deal.
Moving on from a potential outgoing to a likely incoming, the Jeremy Monga situation has taken a very positive turn.
According to a a report in Talksport, the reigning champions have agreed on a transfer fee with Leicester City for the young English winger. It is being claimed that Arsenal beat Manchester United to the punch on this one, as Old Trafford were said to also be interested.
Arsenal also reportedly had their first bid, for the 16-year-old English U19 player, rejected. But now the two sides have reached an agreement on a fee in the neighborhood of £10 million.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.