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Barcelona open talks with £35m Arsenal star over January transfer
Nov 04 2026 03:18 · Par Louis Sealey · 88 Lectures
Arsenal defender and Barcelona transfer target Piero Hincapie (Picture: Reuters)
Barcelona have opened talks with Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie over a January move to the Nou Camp, according to reports in Spain.
Hincapie enjoyed a productive first season at the Emirates Stadium while on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, helping Mikel Arteta’s side win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final.
The Ecuador international made 39 appearances in all competitions, convincing Arsenal bosses to activate their option to make his move permanent for a fee of over £35m.
Hincapie put pen to paper on a five-year contract but his long-term future in north London is already in doubt following a frustrating start to the 2026/27 campaign.
Due to intense competition and some unfortunate injury setbacks, the 24-year-old is still waiting for his first Premier League start and has featured for just 46 minutes in the top-flight.
Hincapie is behind Riccardo Calafiori in Arteta’s pecking order at left-back and saw competition for places in the centre-back positions only increase over the summer with the arrival of England international Ezri Konsa.
Barcelona were linked with a move for Hincapie last summer and the Spanish giants have revived their interest ahead of the January transfer window, according to Spanish outlet SPORT.
Barcelona chief Deco has initiated contact (Picture: Getty)
The La Liga leaders are keen to sign a new centre-back in January and sporting director Deco has placed Hincapie high up on his list of targets.
It is claimed contact has even been made with Hincapie’s representatives to gauge whether a move would be realistic.
But Arteta is said to be ‘very reluctant’ to lose any first-team players during the winter window given Arsenal expect to be fighting for major trophies once again come the second-half of the season.
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Another player of interest to Barcelona is Alessandro Bastoni, the 27-year-old Italy international who has impressed for defending Serie A champions Inter Milan.
Hincapie also attracted interest from Real Madrid last summer, with new Bernabeu boss Jose Mourinho believed to be an admirer of the Ecuador star.