Martin Odegaard says Piero Hincapie has had such a great impact at Arsenal | OneFootball

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has lauded Piero Hincapie for the great impact he has had since joining the Emirates Stadium club on loan last summer.

The Gunners signed the Ecuador international from Bayer Leverkusen in a loan deal which includes an option to buy for £45 million, and he has been a key player for manager Mikel Arteta.

Hincapie has made 35 appearances for Arsenal so far, and the North London club are set to sign him permanently in the summer.

The 24-year-old has been impressing on the pitch and in the training ground, leaving Odegaard and his teammates blown away.

“It is great to see players like Piero Hincapie in their first season at the club have such a great impact,” the Gunners midfielder wrote in his Captain’s Notes in today’s Arsenal matchday programme.

“From the first day he came in, he has brought a huge energy and he is so competitive. He always gives everything every day in training and every single game. You can see he really leaves everything out there – he is so aggressive and good on the ball.”

“He is a complete defender, I would say and he has been a great addition to the team. To play at this level straight away in his first season in the league is brilliant.”

Hincapie has largely played at left-back since joining Arsenal but has also featured at centre-back and done incredibly well in both positions.

He has one goal and two assists so far, and his presence at the back has made the Gunners better defensively.

They have conceded just 26 goals in 34 league games this term and the influence of the Ecuadorian has been huge.

Signing Hincapie permanently was always the plan for Arsenal, and the initial loan deal was only for accounting purposes as they had spent plenty of money before deciding to add him to the squad.

He played a big role in helping Leverkusen win the Bundesliga title without losing a single match in 2023-24 and will be desperate to help the Gunners win their first Premier League title since 2004.