Piero Hincapie sets tone for Arsenal’s new season | OneFootball

The Ecuador international believes last season’s title triumph is only the beginning as Arsenal prepare for another demanding campaign under Mikel Arteta.

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Piero Hincapie has set out Arsenal‘s ambitions for the new season, insisting the Premier League champions are determined to compete for every major honour after ending last campaign on top.

The Ecuador international, whose move from Bayer Leverkusen became permanent earlier this summer following his initial loan spell, believes last season’s title triumph has only increased the standards expected within the squad.

Reflecting on Arsenal’s Premier League success, Hincapie said: “Yes, that moment was fantastic, because we were in first place all year, and obviously there were very difficult, very tough moments, but I think the team was there to face the music and always move forward depending on the adversities we faced.

“We have to work harder, work more than last year. We have players with much, much more experience. When you’re a big team, you always want everything.

“So we’re going to fight for everything. We’re working for that, and God willing, I hope we can achieve all of that.”

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Arsenal confirmed earlier this summer that they had activated their option to sign Hincapie permanently, with the deal becoming official on 1 July after his successful loan spell.

The financial commitment is also understood to be less significant than initially expected.

Art de Roche, writing for The Athletic, reported that Arsenal will pay €40 million, around £34.5 million, this summer, with the remainder of the previously reported €52 million package having been accounted for through the original loan fee and performance-related add-ons agreed last year.

That leaves Arsenal with substantial room to strengthen elsewhere during the current transfer window.

The club generated significant revenue by winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final last season, with expectations that much of that income will be reinvested as Mikel Arteta looks to build a squad capable of defending the title.

Although the £34.5 million payment for Hincapie remains a notable commitment, it is considerably lower than several of Arsenal’s major acquisitions last summer.

Deals for Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke all exceeded that figure, suggesting the permanent signing of Hincapie is unlikely to prevent further significant investment before the transfer window closes.

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