Piero Hincapie may have played just one minute of football since joining Arsenal in the summer, but it’s clear Mikel Arteta is already convinced by his potential.
The 21-year-old defender, who arrived on loan with a £45million obligation to buy from Bayer Leverkusen, has been out injured since his brief cameo in the Champions League win over Athletic Bilbao. That was his only appearance so far, coming on in stoppage time but Arteta remains confident he’ll have a big role to play in the months ahead.
Arteta’s verdict on Piero Hincapie
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s clash against Fulham, Arteta didn’t hold back in his praise for the Ecuadorian international, calling him a player “who is going to help us a lot.”
“He’s going to bring something different to the team,” Arteta told reporters. “We need to get him going, get him to the speed that is necessary to compete at this level and gradually get him to where we want.”
That will be music to the ears of Arsenal fans, who have only seen glimpses of Hincapie since his move. Arteta highlighted the defender’s aggression, technical quality, and willingness to push forward as traits that will add “a different character and emotion” to the team.
Why Hincapie is too good to ignore
Hincapie was highly rated during his time at Leverkusen and was a key part of their Bundesliga title push last season. He’s versatile enough to play both as a left-sided centre-back or at full-back, a key asset in a squad fighting on multiple fronts.
Arteta has leaned heavily on the pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes this season, but with the fixture list set to pile up and defensive injuries never far away, Hincapie’s time will come. He’s already been back in training and but yesterday’s game against Fulham came too soon for him.
Gabriel Martinelli has already spoken highly of Hincapie’s character and ability. With his mix of physicality, composure, and natural aggression, it’s easy to see why Arsenal fought to bring him in.
He’s not just a squad option, he’s a long-term starter. And as Arteta made clear, it’s only a matter of time before Arsenal fans get to see what Hincapie is really all about.
