Arsenal transfer news: Piero Hincapie Tottenham hijack 'in the works' but £52m deal depends on key sale

Arsenal are supposedly working to hijack Tottenham Hotspur's deal for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, but there is a catch.

The Gunners have already broken Lilywhites hearts once in the summer transfer window, stealing Eberechi Eze from under the noses of their most bitter adversaries.

Eze was presented to the Emirates crowd on Saturday prior to Arsenal's 5-0 Premier League thumping of Leeds United, and he was widely expected to be the Gunners' final signing of the summer window.

However, Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are still searching for ways to reinforce the squad further, and according to The Athletic, a deal for Ecuadorian defender Hincapie is in the works.

It was reported earlier on Monday that Hincapie had expressed a wish to leave Leverkusen in the final knockings of the transfer window, and Tottenham were readying an offer of a loan deal with a £52m purchase obligation.

Hincapie 'prefers' Arsenal move amid Tottenham transfer links

Now, Hincapie would allegedly prefer a move to Arsenal if a deal can be agreed between the two clubs, and 'efforts' are being made to reduce his £52m release clause to an amount seen more in line with his realistic market value.

The 23-year-old has supposedly been a prominent name on Arsenal's recruitment list for some time, although his prospective arrival in North London will depend on at least one defensive exit between now and next week's deadline.

Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko could both be sold if the right offer comes in; Porto are working on a move for the former and are said to be increasingly optimistic about their chances of a loan deal with an obligation for a permanent transfer in 2026.

Meanwhile, Zinchenko is out of contract at the end of the season but is yet to receive any firm offers, so the Ukrainian could stay for the final year of his agreement before departing on a free transfer in 2026.

Elsewhere on the field, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson and Albert Sambi Lokonga are also on the chopping block, but the former's potential move to Bundesliga side Stuttgart has broken down.

How Hincapie could fit in at Arsenal ahead of possible hijack

Is it happening again?

Seeing Eze don the red and white of their most hated rivals was one thing, but a penny for the thoughts of all Spurs fans if Hincapie also snubs the Lilywhites in favour of their noisy neighbours.

On the other hand, some Tottenham fans may wish to see their side prioritise another creative midfielder as opposed to a new defender, so not every member of the Spurs faithful should be losing sleep over this possible hijack.

Hincapie has nevertheless established a reputation as one of the Bundesliga's finest defenders, excelling as the left-sided centre-back for Leverkusen during their Bundesliga Invincibles campaign and also functioning as a left-back and left wing-back.

The 23-year-old could therefore provide greater cover and competition for Gabriel Magalhaes - the most likely scenario - as well as battling Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly for left-back minutes.

However, this one will almost certainly not get off the ground unless Arsenal can trim their defensive ranks; while squad depth is key, a bloated squad could be detrimental.