Central defender Piero Hincapie is now, officially, a football player for Arsenal FC. Just a few hours ago, the club announced that the 24-year-old’s loan arrangement has been converted into a permanent deal. He now becomes the North London side’s first signing of the summer, as he moves over from Bayer Leverkusen on a fee of about £34.5 million plus add-ons.
Hincapie who made 20 starts for Arsenal in Premier League competition last season, signed a five-year contract, which commits him to the club until 2031.
Hincapie’s here to stay 🇪🇨
The club is delighted to announce that Piero has signed a permanent deal at The Arsenal 👊
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 25, 2026
Making 39 appearances across all competitions, Hincapie was a key cog in the Gunners’ historic Premier League title winning and Champions League runner-up campaign. While he was not an everyday starter (obviously) in North London this past season, he is expected to take on a larger role this upcoming season. One can assume that this effectively ends the interest in him (at least for this summer) from Real Madrid.
And he’s made a major impact at the 2026 World Cup too.
He’s started and played all 90 minutes in both of Ecuador’s group stage matches (a 1-0 loss to the Ivory Coast and a goalless draw with Curacao) thus far. They have a major clash against powerhouse Germany coming up later on today.
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.