Arsenal agree personal terms to sign £52m “legend in the making”; he’s an Eze repeat…

Arsenal have reached an agreement on personal terms to sign a £52m “legend in the making”; he resembles Eze

The past week has been quite a roller coaster for Arsenal supporters.

It all began with the announcement that Kai Havertz had encountered yet another injury setback on Wednesday morning, which felt like a significant blow after last season.

However, by the end of the day, the fanbase was elated, as the club was pursuing the exceptionally talented Eberechi Eze, and within a few days, he was being presented in front of a full Emirates Stadium.

Yet, as if the Englishman wasn’t enough, the Gunners are now back in the market and seem to be closing in on another signing who could be seen as a bit of an Eze duplicate.

Arsenal targets Eze duplicate

With all the understandable excitement surrounding Eze’s arrival over the past few days, it’s easy to overlook that even before he joined, Arsenal was having a fantastic transfer window.

The signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi could potentially transform the starting lineup, and players like Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera have provided much-needed depth.

Despite the seven signings made under Andrea Berta’s management this window, the Gunners appear eager to add at least one more name to that list, someone who could be viewed as another Eze-like signing.

At least, that is according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who has reported that Arsenal is very interested in Piero Hincapie.

The reputable journalist has disclosed that the Bayer Leverkusen defender wishes to leave the German club this month and is prioritizing a move to the Emirates.

Interestingly, while the Ecuadorian international has a €60m release clause in his current contract – approximately £52m – the North London club is making efforts to negotiate that fee to something “more realistic.”

Even so, this is likely to be an expensive deal, but personal terms are not anticipated to pose any issues, with reports from the continent indicating that Hincapie and the Gunners have agreed to a contract until 2030.

Hincapie has demonstrated that he is more than deserving of attention in recent seasons, particularly as this would resemble another Eze-like deal.

Why Hincapie would be another Eze

Now, rest assured, we recognize that Hincapie and Eze function in distinctly different areas of the pitch, and their styles of play are quite different as a result.

Nonetheless, their positions are not the primary reason this deal could echo the Eze situation.

Rather, one of the key factors that makes their arrivals somewhat alike is that Tottenham Hotspur has shown interest in both players this summer.

Indeed, according to various reports, the Gunners’ fierce rivals have already reached out to the Leverkusen star, placing him fairly high on their list of targets this summer.

If this is accurate, it would mark another instance of Berta and his team once again outmaneuvering the Lilywhites to secure a player they were keen to sign.

However, there are several other parallels between the two players and their circumstances as well.

For instance, similar to the former Palace star, the “Ecuadorian football legend in the making,” as talent scout Jacek Kulig referred to him, is a consistent member of his national team, and while he typically plays as a centre-back, he possesses the versatility to perform excellently at left-back too.

Additionally, he is currently a guaranteed starter in Germany, and like the Greenwich-born star, he played a pivotal role in helping his team achieve something unprecedented in their history when they clinched the league title a couple of seasons ago.

In conclusion, even though this development has somewhat emerged unexpectedly, Hincapie appears to be a promising signing for Arsenal, one that reflects Eze’s arrival last week.