Arsenal’s new boy, Piero Hincapié, can’t stop smiling about his latest career move. The Ecuadorian defender has joined the Gunners on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen, becoming the club’s eighth signing of a hectic summer window. At just 23, he arrives with plenty of experience under his belt Bundesliga and domestic cup medals included and he already looks eager to make North London his new home.Softfootball reports
For Hincapié, the decision to come to Arsenal wasn’t a very hard one. A quick conversation with both Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta was all it took to convince him that the Emirates was the right place for him to be. Now, with multple games including the Uefa champions league starting this month, he’s determined to settle in quickly and prove why the club wanted him so badly.
The Ecuadorian spoke with the club’s media alongside an exclusive official video interview after his unveiling via the official Arsenal website, and his words made it clear just how much this move means to him. He said:
“It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I’m over the moon.”
“I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season.”
“I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that’s the most important thing.”
It’s been a long road to this point for the boy from Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Hincapié reportedly left home at 14 to chase his football dream, moving to Independiente del Valle before heading to Argentina and then germany. At Leverkusen, he grew into one of Europe’s most reliable young defenders and even played alongside ex-Arsenal player Granit Xhaka, who always spoke highly of the club whenever Arsenal came up in conversation.
With the player ready to write his name into Arsenal’s history books, being comfortable playing both centre-back and left-back postions, Hincapié brings alot of quality that has already earned him 46 apperance for his country. For the Gunners, his arrival is not just another transfer but a fresh injection of ambition, hunger, and belief ahead of what promises to be another sensational season.
