Arsenal open £35m Hincapie exit talks with Barcelona as Konsa faces positional switch

Piero Hincapie is reportedly in discussions with Barcelona about leaving Arsenal in January, only six months after the Ecuadorian defender joined the club on a permanent basis. According to Spanish outlet SPORT, the La Liga champions have revived their interest in the 24-year-old after an injury-disrupted start to his Arsenal career.

Hincapie, valued at around £35m, has fallen down the defensive pecking order at the Emirates. He sits behind Riccardo Calafiori at left-back, and the return of William Saliba from a long-term back injury has further squeezed his opportunities at centre-back, where summer signing Ezri Konsa has impressed alongside Gabriel. Whether Mikel Arteta would sanction Hincapie’s departure mid-season remains unclear.

Saliba’s recovery has created a selection dilemma that Rio Ferdinand believes Arteta can resolve by moving Konsa to right-back — a position the former Aston Villa man has occupied for England. Ferdinand, speaking on his podcast, was effusive about both players.

“I think Saliba is one of those guys that you have to find room for in the team. He’s that good, he’s top,” Ferdinand said. He added: “I said to my son yesterday, ‘Watch Ezri Konsa’, because everything he does is efficient. That’s a great problem for Arteta to have. I wouldn’t be surprised if Konsa goes back to right-back once Saliba comes back.”

The developments come as Arsenal prepare to host Hull City on Saturday, looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. Victory would put them six points clear of Manchester City, who travel to Nottingham Forest in the day’s late kick-off. Arsenal’s recent form has been strong, with a midweek Champions League trip to Slavia Prague sandwiched between their Carabao Cup exit at Fleetwood and a landmark Premier League win at Liverpool — the club’s first at Anfield since 2012.

Arteta is also expected to target attacking reinforcements in January, with the Hincapie situation adding further complexity to his squad planning ahead of the winter window.