Piero Hincapie loan details revealed as Arsenal navigate financial loophole
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Credit: Manh Tung, Imago
Ciaran Morrison
Tue 2 September 2025 13:34, UK
Arsenal’s deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie exploited financial regulations, it has been revealed.
Hincapie joined Arsenal on deadline day on loan with a £45million fee agreed should the Gunners wish to make the move permanent.
The Ecuador international became Arsenal‘s eighth summer addition, after spending over £250million with no significant fee brought in from departures.
The 23-year-old becomes Mikel Arteta’s second signing at centre-back after Cristian Mosquera as Arsenal await the verdict on William Saliba’s injury at Liverpool.
Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
As per The Athletic [2 September], due to their spending spree, Arsenal did not want to pay the full £45m to Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
To push the deal into next year’s accounts, a loan where both club’s hold the option to trigger a permanent deal was agreed.
Bayer Leverkusen could therefore force Arsenal to sign Hincapie, whilst “The only way a permanent deal doesn’t happen is in the unlikely event neither club want it.”
Piero HincapieStatsAppearances166Goals7Assists5Piero Hincapie’s Bayer Leverkusen stats in all competitions.
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To sign Hincapie, Arsenal also needed to offload Jakub Kiwior, and the same loan deal was agreed with Porto for the Pole.
A permanent deal next summer for Kiwior could net Arsenal in the region of £25m.
Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media
Football Insider Verdict
Arsenal are in a strong position with PSR rules due to their ability to navigate the financial framework of deals effectively.
Despite another summer where no player has been sold for big money, Arsenal continue to be able to spend large sums on star players.
Arsenal were only able to offload the majority of fringe players on loan, with last minute deals secured for Oleksandr Zinchenko, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Viera and Sambi Lokonga to leave the club.
The club must improve their ability to sell players for high prices like their rivals, and the Gunners could be in an even stronger financial position.
Hincapie looks to sign permanently next summer, but Leverkusen still hold power over his future and could still deny the defender a move to North London.