Arsenal fans were in dreamland when they signed Eberechi Eze from under Tottenham Hotspur’s noses.
Spurs fans were convinced that they were going to get their hands on Eberechi Eze while the Gunners seemed to be showing little interest.
However, Arsenal then sprung into action after Kai Havertz’s injury and, within a few hours, the “here we go” was on the cards and Eze was on his way to Arsenal.
And while Tottenham managed to land Xavi Simons – and it could be argued that they tried to use his announcement as a face-saving exercise – Arsenal were busy signing another one of Spurs’ targets.
Arsenal sign Piero Hincapie despite Tottenham offering better package
On Friday night, the likes of David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano reported that Arsenal had struck a deal for Piero Hincapie.
Hincapie will join Arsenal on a season-long loan which includes an obligation to buy for a total package of €52million (£45million) and a 10 percent sell-on clause.
Arsenal Insider recently relayed comments from Dean Jones claiming Tottenham were trying especially hard to sign Hincapie.
Jones claimed that Spurs had actually presented a better package for both the player and Leverkusen.
“Arsenal are not actually even looking to give Leverkusen, as I understand it, as good a deal as Tottenham would have been willing to do,” Jones said.
However, Hincapie only had eyes for Arsenal, something Ornstein reiterated in his Friday night report.
“He wants to leave and has informed the Bundesliga club of his wish,” wrote Ornstein as he noted how Hincapie had recently penned a deal with Leverkusen until 2029.
“His preference was to join Arsenal and the Premier League club had been ready to push for him, if they managed to move players out before the summer transfer window shuts.”
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What Piero Hincapie will bring to Arsenal
Left-sided central defenders are highly sought after in today’s market, and Arsenal have got themselves one of the best in the business.
At 23 years of age, Hincapie already has 166 Leverkusen appearances and 46 Ecuador caps under his belt, along with four senior trophies including the 2023/24 Bundesliga title.
The Bundesliga website has described Hincapie as a versatile, left-footed player who is tenacious and comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The December 2024 feature article compared him to Paris Saint-Germain and France defender Lucas Hernandez, one of the best defenders of his generation.
Indeed, they even claimed that Hincapie was ahead of the 2018 World Cup winner in terms of slide tackles, aerial challenges and passes in the Bundesliga.
from Arsenal Transfer News | Rumours, Deals & Targets | Arsenal Insider
Giuseppe Labellarte