Arsenal seal £34.5m permanent deal for Hincapie after Champions League final start

Arsenal have completed the permanent signing of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen for £34.5 million, the Premier League champions confirmed on Thursday. The 24-year-old Ecuadorian international joined on loan last summer and has now been tied to the club until 2031.

Hincapie made 39 appearances across all competitions last season as Arsenal secured their first league title in 22 years and reached the Champions League final. He was handed the starting berth at left-back for that final against PSG, a match Arsenal led through Kai Havertz before Ousmane Dembele’s penalty equaliser forced extra time. PSG ultimately prevailed 4-3 on spot-kicks, with Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes among those to miss.

The permanent deal makes Hincapie Arsenal’s first signing of this summer window, following last year’s outlay of more than £250 million on seven players. His arrival is expected to intensify competition for the left-back position, where he spent much of last season battling Riccardo Calafiori for the starting role, with Myles Lewis-Skelly pushed into midfield as a result.

Hincapie is currently representing Ecuador at the World Cup, where he has featured in both of their group-stage fixtures — a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast and a goalless draw against Curacao. Ecuador face Germany on Thursday needing a victory to have any realistic chance of advancing to the round of 32 after collecting just one point from their opening two games.

Once the tournament concludes, Hincapie is expected to return to north London and compete for a regular starting berth under Mikel Arteta as Arsenal look to defend their Premier League title and push deeper into Europe.