Piero Hincapie sends five-word Arsenal message after first training session

Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie marked his first training session with the Gunners by uploading a social media post to his new fans.

The Ecuadorian defender arrived on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with an option to buy the player next summer for £45 million, should Mikel Arteta's side decide to snap him up permanently. Hincapie, 23, may have arrived at the club expecting to be on the bench, with William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Ben White already in situ.

However, the Gunners' number five may be called upon earlier, with Saliba out with an ankle injury he picked up in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool. With White also enduring his own fitness issues, Hincapie, who demonstrated his quality in Ecuador's impressive 1-0 victory over Argentina, could well be handed his debut.

With the possibility in mind, Hincapie made it clear to his fans he is ready to make his mark. He uploaded a series of pictures from his first training session at Arsenal's Sobha Realty Training Ground.

Alongside the pictures, the South American uploaded a firm five-word message, "My first day at Sobha," making it clear to his fanbase he means business.

With the Gunners spending huge sums on Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Hincapie's arrival largely went under the radar. Nevertheless, Arteta was thrilled to bring the defender to north London.

When he was unveiled, he said: "We are so pleased to welcome Piero Hincapie to the club. Piero has a real physical presence, with his versatility and tactical flexibility giving us strong added defensive options.

"He is a big character, with a very good combination of both youth and maturity. He will make our squad stronger and more competitive as we continue into this season. We welcome Piero and his family to Arsenal.”

When asked to explain his own qualities, Hincapie also 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.”

Everything the defender said and more was on show in his nation's triumph over the reigning World Cup winners. After starring at centre-back against Paraguay, Hincapie was deployed at left-back, where he simultaneously dealt with Gonzalo Montiel and Giuliano Simeone.

Not a single player dribbled past him, while he also made the most interceptions (two), recoveries (five) and defensive actions (nine). He also found time to pin Argentinian defenders back by making his own overlapping runs, which would have made Arteta excited.

Arsenal host Nottingham Forest in the early kick-off on Saturday. Whether the clash against Ange Postecoglou's side comes too soon for Hincapie, remains to be seen.

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.