Piero Hincapie is set to join Arsenal on a permanent transfer at the end of this season | OneFootball

Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie is set to join Arsenal on a permanent transfer at the end of this season, according to the Sun.

The 24-year-old moved to the Emirates Stadium club last summer on a season-long loan with an option to buy and has been a key player for Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners agreed a fee of £45 million for the Ecuador international should they want to sign him permanently next summer and have decided to.

Signing Hincapie permanently was always the plan for Arsenal, and the initial loan deal was for accounting purposes.

It was also the case when the North Londoners signed David Raya in 2024 after an initial season-long loan deal from Brentford in 2023.

Hincapie is set to become Arsenal’s first transfer of summer 2026 and the deal is expected to be made official once the window opens.

The Colombian has impressed since joining the Gunners, with 27 appearances to his name so far across all competitions.

He has played as a centre-back and left-back, proving his quality every game and often blowing fans away.

Hincapie was excellent again last night as Arsenal ran out 1-0 winners at Brighton & Hove Albion to further consolidate their position at the top of the table.

The victory means the Gunners are seven points clear at the top of the table after 30 games.

Their closest challengers Manchester City do have a game in hand but Arsenal will fancy their chances of finally getting things over the line in the coming weeks.

Hincapie and his teammates have been in fine form all season long, and the Gunners have also received a boost as he is able to play against his parent club in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

Parent clubs cannot insert clauses preventing a loan player from featuring against them in European competitions due to UEFA rules, which is good news for Arsenal.