Arsenal have been pleased by defender Piero Hincapie’s development since he joined the Gunners on loan from Bayer Leverkusen and intend to make him their first official summer signing.
According to The Sun, the Premier League North London club has already decided to trigger a £45million deal to keep Hincapie at the club beyond the summer transfer window.
Arsenal had the option to buy the Ecuador international on a permanent transfer at the end of the season.
Hincapie’s move to Arsenal will therefore be similar to that of goalkeeper David Raya, who initially joined Arsenal on loan from Brentford before he was signed on a permanent transfer the following season.
Meanwhile, in another related development, Arsenal have reportedly put four players – Gabriel Martinelli, Ben White, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly – up for sale ahead of the summer transfer window, according to the Daily Telegraph.
After spending over £250m last summer, Arsenal know at least one first-team player will be sold this summer in a bid to sign Hincapie on a permanent transfer.
The report added that Martinelli and Ben White are both ‘strong candidates’ in the first-team to leave the Emirates Stadium, while Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly are also at risk of being sold.
Martinelli is no longer a guaranteed starter under manager Mikel Arteta, who also has Eberechi Eze and Leandro Trossard at his disposal, while White has also become an increasingly bit-part player at Arsenal due to the presence of Jurrien Timber.