Arsenal are increasingly confident of completing a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapié before Monday’s transfer deadline, sources have told ESPN.
The 23-year-old is in London after agreeing personal terms, and ESPN sources have said Arsenal are putting the final touches on a loan move with an option to make the deal permanent next summer.
Talks had centred in recent days on Leverkusen insisting on either Hincapie’s €60 million ($70m) release clause being paid in full or an agreement including an obligation to make an initial loan deal permanent.
But ESPN sources have said Arsenal are close to securing a loan with an option which would make Hincapie’s their eighth summer signing after committing more than €300 million on new players.
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To balance the books, the Gunners are expected to allow Jakob Kiwior to join Porto in a permanent deal while Albert Sambi Lokonga is set to move to Hamburg on loan. Hamburg were also talking to Arsenal about a move for Fabio Vieira while Reiss Nelson is set to join Brentford.
Marseille were hoping to complete a deal for Oleksandr Zinchenko but there had not been a breakthrough in negotiations as of Monday lunchtime.