Arsenal look keen to add another defender to the squad and seem to have landed on Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie as the ideal option.
Despite having already strengthened their backline over the summer, the Gunners are reportedly looking at one more defender. They signed Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia, but may see Jakub Kiwior leave for FC Porto.
That would leave William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Ben White as centre-back options, as well as Mosquera. According to rumours, Piero Hincapie could join the list.
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But who exactly is the Ecuador international, what are his strengths and weaknesses? Squawka brings the answers.
Modern day centre-back and perfect fit for Arsenal
Piero Hincapie is the definition of the modern football centre-back. A young, energetic and versatile ball-playing defender who performs his duties at the back but also helps going forward.
He also represents everything that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been doing with his centre-backs – though now it may be more appropriate to call them full-backs.
It started with Ben White becoming a full-time starter at right-back despite impressing as centre-back at Leeds United and Brighton and Hove Albion. Now, he’s maintained this status and Jurrien Timber followed suit. The Dutchman joined after strong performances as a central defender for Ajax, but has been mainly deployed as a full-back.
The same has happened with Riccardo Calafiori. Impressive at centre-back for Bologna, now left-back for Arsenal – though he had already played like this for Roma, Genoa and Basel.
If Hincapie also goes down this road, there is every reason to believe it will be a success. He is the prototypical wide centre-back of modern football, having the ability to play both at the heart of defence or as a full-back, either in a back four or a back three.
What are Piero Hincapie’s strengths and weaknesses?
One of the traits that stand out the most when watching Piero Hincapie is how aggressive he is – both in a good and bad way.
The 23-year-old engages in a lot of duels and never shies away from battles with opposing forwards, but also gives away plenty of fouls. He was booked eight times for Leverkusen in the 2024-25 Bundesliga, more than a career-low two yellows and no sending offs the previous season. He also picked up a red card after scoring against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in January.
Hincapie loves to join the attack. He has enough technique to help the team’s build-up from deep, but will charge forward if there’s room for it. At centre-back, he has the ability to attack the half-space and whip the ball into the box.
This would fit Arsenal’s style perfectly, as Arteta sees crosses as one of the main ways to create danger. The Gunners rank fifth in open play crosses in the Premier League since the start of last season (12.8 per game).
At left-back, the Ecuadorian usually stays wide and is not shy to run to the byline. If play is developing on the opposite side, he will find a way to enter the box and present himself as a back-post heading option.
Hincapie is fast for a central defender, but not the strongest – which can lead him to lose a few battles againstthe bulkier and bigget strikers. He also tends to have some difficulties dealing with shifty wingers, but that’s normal for any centre-back.
The Bayer Leverkusen man finds himself racing opponents quite often, as he is used to chasing them for long distances off the ball. But he tends to recover well and stay alive on the play until the end, even if he trails initially.
How does Piero Hincapie compare to other Arsenal defenders?
If an Arsenal transfer indeed happens, Piero Hincapie would likely have Gabriel and Calafiori as his main “rivals” in the squad.
Using last season’s league data, the Squawka Comparison Matrix shows him to be more participative and accurate on the ball than his potential future teammates.
At 6 ft 0″, he may not be the tallest defender, but does well in aerial duels: 61% in last season’s Bundesliga, better than what Gabriel (59%), Calafiori (59%), Timber (52%) and Kiwior (46%) managed in the 2024-25 Premier League. White (67%) and Saliba (62%) won a larger share of their aerial duels.
He was nearly as combative, playing as a centre-back, than Calafiori who spent most of his minutes playing as a left-back – and also attempted more crosses, which is a good sign. Another one is a relatively high interceptions tally, meaning he is always alert and active without the ball.
It might not be certain, but an Arsenal transfer would make a lot of sense both for the Gunners and Hincapie himself.