Not content with their triumphant acquisition of Eberechi Eze, Arsenal have reportedly waded into the race Tottenham Hotspur had been leading for Bayer Leverkusen centre back Piero Hincapié.

The 23-year-old Ecuador international came through at Independiente in his homeland at the same time as current Chelsea star Moisés Caicedo. After spending a year in Argentina before flourishing in Leverkusen, Hincapié could join his compatriot in London this summer.

Spurs initially appeared to be Hincapié’s next destination. Thomas Frank’s side approached Leverkusen with the proposal for an initial loan deal with the obligation to make the defender’s stay permanent for a sum in the region of €60 million (£52 million, $70.2 million), which is the same value as the release clause in his contract, per Fabrizio Romano.

Hincapié was described as keen to leave Leverkusen after the club’s summer exodus of stars and the appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager, with discussions over personal terms thought to be underway. Enter Arsenal.

In what is becoming an increasingly familiar turn of events, the Gunners were tipped by The Athletic to be working on a rival deal for Tottenham’s top target. Unlike Spurs, Arsenal are thought to be pursuing a permanent deal this summer and are framed as reluctant to match Hincapié’s €60 million release clause.

Leverkusen may not be satisfied with the terms on offer just yet, but the player is thought to “prefer” a move to Arsenal over Spurs.

The report also claims that the Gunners’ approach for the young left footer hinges on a departure for Jakub Kiwior. The Poland international is first in line to fill in for Gabriel but has nevertheless been made available for sale this summer. A separate report from Romano claims that Portuguese giants Porto are lining up a proposal for Kiwior which would involve a loan with an obligation to buy worth a total of €20 million.

Hincapié is two years younger than Kiwior and generally considered to have a higher ceiling but the senior man fought hard to win over Mikel Arteta during a run of first-team appearances in Gabriel’s absence last season. After some shaky moments to begin with, the 25-year-old lived up to his manager’s lofty praise with an “exceptional” performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal, Tottenham Battle for €60 Million Defender, ‘Preference’ Revealed.

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