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Arsenal are moving swiftly to finalise a deal for a player who has quickly become a favourite within the club.

The North London giants have already reached an agreement for their first transfer of the upcoming summer window, even while the current campaign is still ongoing.

Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal appear strong contenders to win their first Premier League title since 2004, maintaining a seven-point lead at the top of the table with fewer than 10 matches remaining.

Still competing on four major fronts, the Spanish manager must rotate his squad carefully, though there is no denying that Arsenal find themselves in an excellent position.

While Arteta’s immediate attention remains on the current season, his backroom and recruitment teams are already planning for the future, ensuring the club remains competitive in the long term.

With that forward-thinking approach, the Gunners have confirmed their first signing ahead of the summer transfer window.

Piero Hincapie, a familiar face at the Emirates, has been on loan from Bayer Leverkusen since last summer.

That loan arrangement included a £45 million option to buy, which, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are now set to trigger.

Romano has revealed that the deal is already completed, with Hincapie signing a five-year contract that will keep the Ecuadorian international in North London until at least 2031.

“It’s already signed and completed,” Romano confirmed on his YouTube channel. “Piero Hincapie already considers himself a permanent Arsenal player.”

The 24-year-old defender has featured in 21 matches for the Gunners so far, alternating between centre-back and left-back roles, and has earned strong praise for his consistent performances.

Analysts at FourFourTwo have praised Arsenal’s decision to finalise the deal early, calling it a logical move given Hincapie’s importance to the squad and Arteta’s evident satisfaction with his contributions.

Romano also highlighted that this transfer follows a similar pattern to the one Arsenal executed with David Raya, who initially joined on loan from Brentford before making the move permanent. The approach allows the club to evaluate players thoroughly before committing to long-term deals, helping to avoid costly transfer errors.

According to Transfermarkt, Hincapie’s current market valuation stands at €50 million.