Piero Hincapie reveals what Granit Xhaka told him about ‘what he went through’ at Arsenal ahead of Emirates switch

New Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie has admitted he spoke to former Gunners midfielder Granit Xhaka about the club during their time together at Bayer Leverkusen. The defender did not talk to the Switzerland international before making the switch, but recalled their previous conversations about the north London club.

Arsenal signed Hincapie on a season-long loan this summer, with an option to buy him next year. Bayer Leverkusen wanted his reported €60 million release clause to be activated, but sanctioned a loan move in the final days of the summer transfer window.

Speaking to the Premier League side's media team after completing the move on deadline day, Hincapie was asked if he talked to Xhaka about the club. He said:

“We’d speak a lot, but not about that. However, I asked him about Arsenal at one point. He spoke wonders of the club and how he felt during his spell here. I loved the conversation we had at that point, and it wasn’t recent. He did send me a message recently though, he always spoke well of the club and everything he went through here; he was a great captain.”

When asked about his decision to join the Gunners, he added:

“It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I'm over the moon. I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season. I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that's the most important thing.”

Tottenham Hotspur were also linked with a move for Hincapie, but the Ecuadorian opted to join the Gunners this summer.

Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie on his best position on the pitch

Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie spoke about his skillset after joining the side from Bayer Leverkusen, claiming that he brings a lot of courage on the pitch. He added that his best position was center-back, though he played several matches as a left-back with the Bundesliga club. He said:

“I think I can bring a lot of courage. I do my job well. I want to show my qualities as I've been doing for years. I want to give so much for this club. My best position is centre-back. I've played many games at full-back as well, but I think I'm best at centre-back. As for my qualities, I'm pacey and I like carrying the ball forward as well as being a leader on the pitch.”

Hincapie was Arsenal's eighth signing of the summer following Noni Madueke, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard, Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres, and Eberechi Eze's arrivals.