Arsenal ready to beat Tottenham to £52m star signing

Arsenal’s last-ditch transfer activity has drawn them to proven Bundesliga defender Piero Hincapie. The central defender was an integral part of the victorious Bayer Leverkusen side that won the German league title without a single defeat.

According to reports emerging in the English press, Hincapie has communicated his desire to leave the club this summer. However, the Ecuadorian defender has a massive contract with the German giants that runs until 2029.

Arsenal are not the only London club eyeing up a transfer for the ‘next Sergio Ramos’. Tottenham Hotspur yet again are keen on signing the defender. The two rival clubs have already locked horns on several occasions this season. Most recently, Arsenal successfully hijacked Spurs’ deal for Eberechi Eze.

Will Piero Hincapie be the next player to leave Leverkusen?

Piero Hincapie’s current deal also come with a hefty release clause set at £52 million. Bayer Leverkusen have emerged as one of the smartest selling clubs in the football world and have shipped out stars like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, Granit Xhaka, and Jonathan Tah in recent years.

Having said that, the Germans will be cautious in their approach to this deal and will not display haste as Erik ten Hag has already lost so many top players.

Mikel Arteta has often been vocal about increasing the squad depth at Emirates Stadium. The Spanish gaffer has even mentioned the desire to have two players at his disposal for each position.

Piero Hincapie could be solid addition to the current centre back trio of William Saliba, Gabriel and Cristhian Mosquera especially given the rumoured departure of Jakob Kiwior to Porto on a loan with obligation to buy deal.

Spurs are reportedly very serious about signing the player who is viewed as a warrior like centre-back who can also play full-back so would offer versatility if Thomas Frank can convince him to join his Tottenham project.

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What else do Arsenal want to do?

Arsenal have spent lavishly this transfer window, having already amassed a total bill of £247 million. The bill could further be pushed with an imminent deal on the cards for Hincapie. The Gunners will thus need to lighten up their squad a bit and give it a final trim before the window closes.

The Gunners transfer department will also be working around the clock to secure exits for other out of favour players like Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Reiss Nelson.

After a thumping performance against Leeds United this weekend, where the Gunners were 5 goals to the good, Arsenal will now make the difficult trip to Anfield to square off against Liverpool with both clubs nursing injuries to key players. An interesting game awaits us on matchday 3 of the Premier League.