After the loan departure of Pablo Mari in the summer window and the likely permanent exit of the Spaniard in 2023, Arsenal were left with just one left-footed centre-half in Gabriel Magalhaes. Therefore it is unsurprising to see the Gunners linked with a potential move for Piero Hincapie to be a replacement for not only Mari but add further quality to a growing roster of impressive young defenders.
According to the Italian outlet Calciomercato Arsenal are one of a number of sides interested in signing the Ecuador international. He would cost in the range of €25m (£21.7m) amid having a successful spell in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen.
To find out more about the defender, football.london spoke to Lee Scott, a football analyst who has followed Hincapie for some time to provide in-depth insight into exactly what Arsenal would be getting.
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Hincapie was brought in only last year yet played a significant amount for Bayer Leverkusen almost immediately, what was it that the Bundesliga side saw that gave them the confidence the then 19-year-old would cope with expectations at the elite level?
I think that Bayer Leverkusen are one of the best sides in Europe when it comes to early talent identification. While Hincapie was playing in Argentina for Tallares there were clear signs that he fit the more European style for central defenders.
They are very good when it comes to signing young players from various markets and giving them exposure and playing time at the first-team level. This does, of course, also come with an element of risk because young players are still developing and will make mistakes.
That's why playing young players in the way that Bayer Leverkusen do is not something that all clubs can emulate. Hincapie was already showing very good ball progression ability and defensive understanding.
What would be his defined style as a defender and are these traits that are evident in the current roster of Arsenal's central defenders?
When we talk about central defenders in the modern game there is a tendency for people to talk in the first instance about their ability with the ball. We have to remember though that central defenders still have to be able to defend in the first instance and this is especially true at the top level.
Hincapie is, first and foremost, a defensive player. He is comfortable defending either when isolated against a forward or zonally and he has an aggressive streak in terms of wanting to be aggressive in winning the ball back high up the pitch.
In a deeper block, he is quick to react to danger and look to make blocks or clearances. In possession, he is a very modern central defender.
Hincapie is naturally left-footed and he is comfortable stepping forward in possession and breaking lines of pressure. He can also play progressive passes that either break a line and move the ball through the thirds or are more diagonal to find spaces on the far side of the pitch.
Arsenal already have four young central defensive options in Saliba, White, Gabriel and Tomiyasu, would not having a more senior figure available in a Premier League side be a detriment to Hincapie not only in terms of mentorship but long-term opportunity too?
I don't think that player age is necessarily something that we have to take into account when it comes to leadership and Arsenal have a lot of younger players who have already played significant amounts of first-team football. The leadership group at Arsenal is typically younger with the likes of [Martin] Odegaard at the core but the signings of [Oleksandr] Zinchenko and [Gabriel] Jesus and the emergence of [Granit] Xhaka as a key-first team player means that there are enough 'voices' on the pitch as things are.
Hincapie has already shown the ability to move and adapt to other cultures and to step up in terms of the level of football he is expected to play. I don't see any reason he could not come into the group of centre-backs at Arsenal and hold his own.
Having only move for around £5m a year ago, is the reported price tag of close to £22m a fair one from him for Arsenal to pay for a player who might initially bring purely depth and cover?
I think that realistically £22M for a centre-back who is going to come in as a squad player in the first instance is probably just the cost of business for Arsenal at this point. While Hincapie is only 20 years old, he is an established full international for a talented Ecuador squad and he has shown the ability to adapt and cope comfortably with top-level European football.
There is also a considerable tax in football at the moment when it comes to signing left-footed central defenders and this is especially true for a side, like Arsenal, who want to play out from the back and build the attack. The real issue here is that Hincapie only moved to Germany one year ago.
With the changes in the work permit regulations due to Brexit, we have seen South America become more open to English sides in terms of their recruitment. It would make sense for the club to make sure that they are looking to cut out the middleman in the future and effectively scout the South American market.
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