Arsenal is close to snatching a deal that Tottenham worked hard on this summer, amid the intense rivalry between the two English capital giants throughout the current transfer window.
Arsenal signed Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace for €70 million, after the player was on the verge of joining Tottenham and had already agreed on all the details with Spurs.
The scenario seems likely to repeat itself, with the deal for Bayer Leverkusen center-back Piero Hincapie, who informed the German club’s management of his desire to leave the BayArena this summer.
Tottenham entered negotiations with the Ecuadorian defender, and Spurs sent an official offer to Leverkusen to acquire the defender on a one-year loan, with an option to buy in the summer of 2026 for €60 million.
At first glance, the deal seemed a done deal for Daniel Levy’s management. However, Arsenal’s involvement in the deal came within hours, and it appears the player is closer to joining the Gunners than their London neighbors.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal officials have contacted Hinnekabé and Leverkusen to explore the possibility of completing the deal, while the player has clearly informed the Gunners that his primary desire is to join Mikel Arteta’s squad.
Although Hinnekabé wants to move to Arsenal, and the club also wants to secure his services, there is one obstacle now: the English club must first sell one of its players to finance the deal. Officials are currently considering this, given the desire to offload center-back Jakub Kiwior and left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Hinnekabé has been one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga over the past two years, and coach Xabi Alonso has successfully developed him into a reliable left-back. He is also a reliable player at left-back, making him a great signing for any club that acquires his services.
