Arsenal have already agreed first summer signing with transfer imminent | OneFootball

Gunners deal not in doubt despite rumoured Barcelona battle

As the season went on, any doubts there may have been over Piero Hincapie's future at Arsenal quickly disappeared.

It was a slow start to his career in north London due to injury. But once in the team, he wasted little time in making his mark.

Riccardo Calafiori offers a very unique profile at left-back, but Hincapie's relentless and dogged defending perfectly summed up this Arsenal side.

"When I spoke to Xabi [Alonso, formerly Hincapie’s manager at Bayer Leverkusen] just before we were going to sign him, I said if you have to describe him in one word, what would you use? And he said, 'He’s a warrior,'" Arteta said.

"He will play through brick walls for you and he’s one of the most competitive players that I have had.

"He has an aura, a charisma - a really special character."

Arsenal signed Hincapie on loan late last summer but that was always with a view to a permanent move.

Warrior: Piero Hincapie has shone on loan at Arsenal this season

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After a window of huge spending, pushing back the outlay on Hincapie to the next financial year suited Arsenal in order to comply with financial regulations.

Bayer Leverkusen were happy too, having already made the big sales of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong that summer. It was more beneficial for them to start getting the payments for Hincapie a year later.

There has never been any real doubt that Hincapie would eventually join Arsenal permanently.

Speaking in March, Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes said: "He's still officially our player and is only on loan at the moment but it will come to the transfer."

Arsenal will activate the £45million buy option available to them and a five-year contract has already been agreed with Hincapie.

There have been suggestions that Barcelona are interested in the 24-year-old and could try to make a surprise move for him, though Arsenal are relaxed about the situation.

It has been quiet in terms of confirmation of Hincapie's permanent signing but that is because there is no rush for either party.

Hincapie is currently away at the World Cup with Ecuador, who were beaten by Ivory Coast in their opening match.

Arsenal and Leverkusen both benefit from the deal for Hincapie falling into the next financial year for accounting purposes.

That means the transfer will be officially pushed through after June 30.

Arsenal did something similar with David Raya in 2023, when he signed from Brentford on loan with the intention always that it would become a permanent move.