Piero Hincapié is scheduled to travel to London to undergo a medical as part of a prospective move from Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal. Leverkusen accepted an initial loan proposal that includes a clause to make the transfer permanent next summer, and Hincapié has agreed contract details with Arsenal. The 23-year-old featured on the bench in a recent 3-3 draw and said goodbye to Leverkusen fans after full time. Mikel Arteta sought references from Xabi Alonso, who previously coached Hincapié and had considered him for Real Madrid. Arsenal’s heavy summer spending necessitated a loan-to-buy structure instead of an immediate purchase.
The agreement between the clubs, according to another source, was practically finalised on Saturday after Leverkusen accepted an initial loan proposal with a clause that will make the transfer permanent next summer. The player has already agreed the details of a contract at the north London club. The 23-year-old was on the bench for his team's 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen on Saturday, but he took the opportunity to say goodbye to the Leverkusen fans following the full-time whistle.
Mikel Arteta has been key to the deal and, according to a source, called Xabi Alonso to ask for references, as the Real Madrid boss coached Hincapié during his time in charge of Leverkusen. Alonso also had Hincapié on his list of potential signings for Real Madrid, but Madrid did not pursue a deal after the arrivals of Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras.
Arsenal have already spent more than £250 million ($338m) in the summer window and cannot afford to sign Hincapié outright. Therefore, in recent days, they have been negotiating to convince their Leverkusen counterparts with an offer of a loan with the mandatory permanent clause. ESPN reported on Monday that Arsenal had made an approach to explore the possibility of signing Hincapié while negotiating the sale of Jakub Kiwior to Porto.
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