Arsenal are increasingly confident of completing a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié before the transfer deadline. The 23-year-old is in London after agreeing personal terms and Arsenal are finalising a loan with an option to make the move permanent next summer. Leverkusen had pushed for either the €60m release clause or an obligation to buy, but Arsenal appear close to a loan-with-option agreement. The signing would be Arsenal's eighth this summer after more than €300m spent. Several departures are expected to balance the books, including Jakob Kiwior, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson, while Marseille's Zinchenko talks had not progressed.
Talks had centred in recent days on Leverkusen insisting on either Hincapie's €60 million ($70m) release clause being paid in full or an agreement including an obligation to make an initial loan deal permanent. But ESPN sources have said Arsenal are close to securing a loan with an option which would make Hincapie's their eighth summer signing after committing more than €300 million on new players.
To balance the books, the Gunners are expected to allow Jakob Kiwior to join Porto in a permanent deal while Albert Sambi Lokonga is set to move to Hamburg on loan. Hamburg were also talking to Arsenal about a move for Fabio Vieira while Reiss Nelson is set to join Brentford. Marseille were hoping to complete a deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko but there had not been a breakthrough in negotiations as of Monday lunchtime.
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