How Hincapie's arrival can boost Arteta's Arsenal 

Piero Hincapie's versatility makes Arsenal's Bayer Leverkusen arrival very exciting says Nick Manfredi 

Here he is, our eighth and final summer signing, Piero Hincapie. 

Some fans may roll their eyes at yet another defender, but the reality is with players, and not just Arsenal players, constantly dropping like flies with torn hamstrings and twisted ankles, you need as big a squad as you can get. 

Hincapie is arriving from Bayer Leverkusen for whom he played an integral role in their historic invincible Bundesliga winning campaign of 2023-24.

The Ecuadorean international operates as both a left sided centre back and a left back much like Riccardo Calafiori.

Given that he is arriving as Jakub Kiwior is leaving, I would guess Hincapie is mainly being signed to rival Gabriel for that spot on the left side of the defence.

It makes sense given we have Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly rivalling each other for the left back position. That being said, Hincapie is extremely capable as a left back.

Based on what I’ve seen from him he gets forward well and has the engine to constantly shuttle up and down the touchline.

His crossing looks encouraging, and he brings that South American tenacity when in defensive mode.

The Ecuadorean can seamlessly transition from defence to attack so it will be very interesting to see where Arteta puts him.

I’m not entirely sure where he fits into this side as on the one hand Kiwior leaving for Porto leaves a vacancy for someone to challenge Gabriel. And after the dozens of injuries we suffered last season, why on earth would Arteta want to leave any gaps?

But at the same time, when you have a player who is so adept going forwards, it seems a bit of a waste to spend all his proficiencies in defence.

It’s not a bad problem to have for Arteta to have so many players like Hincapie who are so highly skilled in multiple positions. 

For me, his versatility makes Hincapie a very exciting arrival.