Arsenal have confirmed that Piero Hincapie will join on a permanent deal from Bayer Leverkusen, after a successful loan spell, with the Ecuador defender officially becoming an Arsenal player on July 1 while on World Cup duty.

During the 2025-26 season, Hincapie played a key part in Mikel Arteta’s squad, making 39 appearances in all competitions, as Arsenal secured the Premier League title and maintained strong form across the domestic campaign.

Although Hincapie is naturally a centre-back, Arteta relied on the 24-year-old mainly at left-back. Of the 2,763 minutes played for Arsenal, 68% came on the left of defence, with 32% spent in central defence.

The move follows Hincapie’s loan arrival near the end of last year’s summer transfer window, when Arsenal secured an option to buy. Club staff have now activated that clause, turning the temporary stay into a long-term commitment.

Before moving to England, Hincapie had already built a strong reputation at Bayer Leverkusen, where the defender was a regular starter in the 2023-24 season, helping Xabi Alonso’s side secure a domestic double in Germany.

Arsenal have also highlighted Hincapie’s impact to supporters through club media channels, sharing clips from the first campaign and underlining how quickly the defender adapted to Arteta’s tactical system and the demands of Premier League football.

With the transfer now secured and Hincapie tied to a long-term stay, Arsenal gain a defender comfortable at both centre-back and left-back, while the player heads into the rest of the World Cup with club future settled.