Ecuador international Piero Hincapie has made his loan move from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal permanent.
The deal was confirmed by Arsenal in a statement on their official website on Thursday.
The Gunners agreed a fee of £45m for the Hincapie when he initially joined on loan last summer.
“We are delighted to have activated the option to make Piero Hincapie’s transfer to us permanent from July 1.
“Piero spent last season on loan from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen and was an integral part of our Premier League-winning campaign.
“The 24-year-old defender made 39 appearances in all competitions, becoming a key member of our defensive unit, which has now conceded the fewest goals in the last three Premier League seasons.
“A successful first season in north London saw Piero make his debut for us in our 2-0 win away to Athletic Club in the Champions League back in September 2025.
“Piero’s first and only goal came in our draw away to Wolves in February, the same month in which he won our Arsenal Player of the Month award, an accolade he would also receive in April.
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“The Ecuador international began his professional career in his country of birth with Independiente del Valle. He developed through their youth system and first lifted silverware by winning the U20 Copa Libertadores in 2020. In August of that year, Piero moved to Argentinian side Talleres, where he made 22 appearances in his debut season.
“Germany was Piero’s next destination when he signed for Bayer Leverkusen in August 2021, making 166 appearances across four seasons, with the honourable mention of helping them lift their first Bundesliga title in the 2023/24 campaign when they ended the domestic season unbeaten.
“Having captained Ecuador at under-17 level, Piero has gone on to make 54 senior international appearances for his country, as well as representing them at four major tournaments, including the current FIFA World Cup 2026.
“Everyone at the club is delighted to welcome Piero back with us.
“The transfer is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.”
