Arsenal are on the verge of making Ecuador international Piero Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen permanent this summer, but personal terms remain an obstacle between the clubs.
Hincapie arrived on deadline day in September in a deal that sporting director Andrea Berta put together. Arsenal paid €6 million for the loan and locked in a purchase option of €52 million, well below the €67 million his market value has since risen to.
Including the loan fee, Football Transfers reports that the Gunners are looking at spending €58 million on a player worth considerably more, giving them roughly €10 million in savings before a ball has been kicked next season.
The 24-year-old had a slow start, picking up a groin injury that kept him out until October.
Since then, he has played almost every week, starting at centre-back and, more recently, nailing down the left-back spot ahead of the injury-prone Riccardo Calafiori.
Mikel Arteta has made no secret of how much he rates him, praising his ability to perform at a high level in more than one position.
Hincapie’s current deal at Leverkusen runs until 2029, and Arsenal are putting a four-year agreement on the table, with an option for a fifth year, and wages in the region of £100,000 a week.
Both parties are in talks and the expectation inside the club is that a resolution is close. Arteta has reportedly told the board he wants the deal triggered, and Arsenal see Hincapie as their first major signing of the summer window.
