Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea have all been linked with Bayer Leverkusen defender Piere Hincapie over the past few days.
The 20-year-old has been impressing for Ecuador at the World Cup and he could be set for a switch to the Premier League in January.
The Gunners have seriously looked into signing a left-footed centre-back in previous transfer windows and Hincapie may well be a genuine target.
1) ) He played just 25 senior matches before moving to Europe
Hincapie started his career at Independiente del Valle but, within months of making his senior debut, he made the transfer to Argentinian Primera Division outfit Club Atletico Talleres.
However, the defender spent just a year with his new club, with teams in Europe having taken notice of his performances.
2) Hincapie impressed at the 2021 Copa America
Ecuador called up the defender for the tournament in July last year. He got his first cap in the first group match against Colombia, with the game ending in a 1-0 defeat.
Hincapie went on to play the full 90 minutes in all five matches before Ecuador were dumped out of the competition at the quarter-final stage by Argentina.
3) Leverkusen Won The Battle For His Signature
After receiving plaudits for his performances at the Copa America, it was only a matter of time before a club in a big European league came calling.
Leverkusen were the team that won the race for Hincapie, shelling out around £6.6m on the player in the 2021 summer transfer window.
4) Hincapie Had A Strong First Season In Germany
The centre-half started 20 of Leverkusen’s 34 league matches, with the German club finishing third in the Bundesliga, picking up 64 points from 34 matches.
It should be pointed out, though, that Hincapie’s team did concede 47 goals last campaign and those defensive issues have carried over into this season.
5.) He Can Also Play At Left Back
Hincapie
In his 51 appearances for Leverkusen, Hincapie has actually started more matches as a left-back than as a centre-back, but that is unlikely to be an issue for Arsenal.