Versatility, strength, and a strong mentality: New Arsenal signing’s former coach on what he will bring to the Gunners

Piero Hincapie was Arsenal’s only incoming on the final day of the transfer window, joining the Gunners from Bayer Leverkusen on loan with an option of a permanent deal for £45m.

His arrival in what was a busy summer for the Gunners has gone somewhat under the radar, but one of his former coaches has backed him to play a big part in their hopes of winning the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

After playing for a handful of local teams, the Ecuador international rose through the ranks of Independiente del Valle in the same age group that featured Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez and PSG defender Willian Pacho. 

Hincapie formed part of the U20 squad that made history as the first Ecuadorian side to win the U20 Copa Libertadores, and one of Independiente del Valle’s academy coaches at the time, Ricardo Oquendo, recalls the 23-year-old’s impressive maturity and versatility for his age. 

“Since he was very young, he was well known, not only because of his technical ability, such as anticipation. He was very good with the ball also,” Oquendo tells Hayters.com.

“That’s why he was experimenting with playing in several positions. He was playing as a centre-back, he was playing as well as a left-back. That is something that, afterwards, made him very versatile.

“I would say the most important thing about the player, something that makes Piero very different from other players, is his mindset.”

After impressing with the reserves, Hincapie was handed his senior debut at just 17, before earning a move to Argentine side Talleres a year later. 

“Defensively, his anticipation [was his strength],” Oquendo reflects.

“I would say, not only his anticipation in a defensive way, but the offensive side of the game as well. He was very clean in leading the defence up. This is something that gave the first team coaching staff confidence to use him, even when he was very young to be in the first team.

“He was always very, very, very well-organised, using his leadership skills to organise the last line. This is something that is very important because he always had this capacity to speak, to be very close to all the other players in the backline.”

At 6’0″, his lean frame can be misleading, but Oquendo stresses that his strength is key to winning duels – an attribute that Arteta values highly.

“Something that maybe could look wrong to some people is that he’s actually thin, but he’s very, very strong,” Oquendo said. “I will assure you of that. He’s very strong and he’s very aggressive, so it’s very difficult to win a duel against him.

“This is something that really helped him not to survive, but to excel in a league like the Premier League. It is a very physical league and you have a lot of duels.”

Hincapie’s maturity has earned strong acclaim, shaped by his development under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where the 23-year-old was involved in the club’s historic unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning season.

Upon his arrival, Arteta described him as a “big character, with a very good combination of youth and maturity”, and Oquendo echoes that same sentiment.

“This is something that was very remarkable at his age, his maturity,” he said. “To play with the ball, anticipate when the ball is played on both feet, anticipate the area of play as well. He never gives up. 

“For him, every single ball was like the last one in the game. This is something that is very aggressive, very concentrated, very focused on the game.”

Arsenal’s latest defensive addition is not just versatile across the back line, but he could also provide the Gunners with an extra edge on set pieces. Five of their nine goals scored this season have come from dead-ball situations, and Hincapie’s physical presence and excellent timing could make them an even greater threat.

“He has no problem playing as a centre-back, as a left-footed full-back. Of course, Arsenal, last season, had a lot of success on set-pieces. I think that Piero Hincapie could be a very good tool from set-pieces for Arsenal.”

The Ecuadorian defender is still awaiting his Premier League debut after being an unused substitute in the Gunners’ 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. When he does step onto the pitch, he will become the 15th Ecuadorian to feature in the league, joining his former teammate Moises Caicedo among the current representatives.

“You have to expect that you will have a player that will never give up. He will give 100 percent, sweating for the red and white shirt,” Oquendo says.

“Something that is very important for me as a football coach, for the fans and for us as Ecuadorians. I remember growing up watching Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Jens Lehmann, Per Mertesacker, Tomas Rosicky, these kinds of players.

“And right now, one of us is playing for Arsenal. This is something that makes us very proud.”