Mikel Arteta insists new Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie will make the Gunners ‘stronger and more competitive’ this season.
Arsenal signed the Ecuador international on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen with an option to buy at £45m.
Hincapie, 23, played 166 games for Leverkusen and helped the German club win the Bundesliga title in 2023-24.
Tottenham were believed to be leading the race to sign Hincapie but Arsenal swooped in last week to hijack the deal.
Hincapie, who will wear the No. 5 shirt at Arsenal, is Arteta’s eight summer signing following Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera and Eberechi Eze.
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‘We are so pleased to welcome Piero Hincapie to the club,’ Arteta told Arsenal’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. We welcome Piero and his family to Arsenal.’
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta added: ‘We are delighted to have completed the loan signing for the season of Piero Hincapie.
‘At only 23, Piero already has significant experience, both in the Bundesliga and at international level. He is an intelligent defender with real strength and versatility.
‘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.’
Hincapie could make his Arsenal debut after the international break when Nottingham Forest visit the Emirates Stadium.
Who left Arsenal on transfer deadline day?
Arsenal’s deal for Hincapie opened the door for Jakub Kiwior’s departure and the Poland international has joined Porto on loan with an obligation to buy for £24m.
Kiwior joined Arsenal two years ago but was only ever a bit-part player in Arteta’s squad and was keen to leave this summer.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have sold midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga to German club Hamburg.
Arsenal paid £17m for Lokonga in 2021 but the Belgian midfielder only made 39 appearances for the north London side.
Lokonga had loan spells at fellow Premier League clubs Crystal Palace and Luton Town and La Liga side Sevilla before joining Hamburg for an undisclosed fee.
The Gunners have also offloaded Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson and Lucas Martin Nygaard on loan moves to Hamburg, Brentford and Braband respectively.
Arsenal completed one final deal in the final moments of the summer window, loaning Oleksandr Zinchenko out to Nottingham Forest.
Four-time Premier League winner Zinchenko was once a key member of Arteta’s squad but found his game-time limited following the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and the signing of Riccardo Calafiori.
Arsenal enjoyed a bright start to the new Premier League season but suffered a significant setback at the weekend, losing 1-0 to title rivals Liverpool.
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