Piero Hincapie Arsenal transfer details from Christian Falk (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
Piero Hincapie is set to become an Arsenal player as there’s an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer to go through.
In a slightly complicated deal, the Ecuador international will be joining the Gunners on an initial loan deal, with some conflicting reports on whether there’ll be an option or an obligation to make the move permanent.
My understanding is that the purchase option will convert into a purchase obligation in the new year.
Arsenal will pay a loan fee of €6m to Leverkusen, while the fixed transfer fee will not be paid until 2026.
Leverkusen denied at first the final agreement. However, since the figures for the deal were apparently leaked (via the Gunners) they are likely to accept the final counteroffer. The transfer should therefore be completed as a done deal soon.
Piero Hincapie transfer numbers explained
However, there is a catch to the numbers: Hincapie had a €60m release clause in his contract. A sum the Bundesliga club refused to budge on – and apparently didn’t budge on in the end.
Hincapie and his agent are waiving their percentage share of the player’s resale. Assuming a rate of ten percent, this would amount to €6m.
The lower transfer fee resulting from the player’s waiver also eliminates the resale fee that Hincapie’s former Argentinian club AC Talleres negotiated upon his move to Leverkusen in 2021. This is said to be 20 percent of the transfer profit. Bayer paid the Argentinians €6.4m at the time.
Hincapie had other transfer suitors
As revealed in my Daily Briefing column earlier this year, it always looked like Hincapie could be one of the players leaving Leverkusen this summer.
Tottenham and Liverpool were also among the clubs interested in the 23-year-old, but Arsenal have now more or less closed the deal.
As others have reported, Hincapie will have his Arsenal medical this weekend.
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