Arsenal are keen to secure the signature of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie “before the weekend”, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Gunners have held talks with the Ecuadorian’s club and it has been reported that personal terms have already been agreed.

However, the main stumbling block is believed to be the transfer fee. Up until now, Leverkusen have made it clear that they will not accept an offer below Hincapie’s €60m (£52m) release clause.

Jacobs says that the Gunners are keen on getting a deal done “closer to €50m (£43m)”, with the preferred structure being a loan with an obligation to buy next summer.

Other sources have suggested that sporting director Andrea Berta is confident of agreeing a price below Leverkusen’s valuation because Hincapie has made it clear that he won’t join any other team.

Arsenal’s rivals have dropped out of the race

Both Tottenham and Chelsea had reportedly registered their interest in Hincapie, but the two teams opted against stepping up their attempts to sign him once the defender’s preference for the Gunners became clear.

Berta is believed to have strong ties with the 23-year-old’s agent, which stretch back to his time working for Atletico Madrid, and he has used those connections to ensure that Arsenal are the front runners.

Why do the Gunners want to wrap up a deal for Hincapie quickly?

The Ecuadorian international is being lined up as a replacement for Jakub Kiwior. There is already an agreement in place for the Pole to join Porto.

Kiwior is expected to complete his move before the transfer deadline next week, so ensuring that a player is brought in to take his place as soon as possible is a top priority.

The club don’t want to be in a situation where they are scrambling around for a centre-back on Monday. Hincapie will be Mikel Arteta’s 8th signing of the summer if the move does happen.

Read more about the Arsenal First Team Squad for 2025/26 here