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Arsenal fans will soon learn a lot about their new signing Piero Hincapie, but already one player comparison to their former defender can be made.
All in all, Arsenal had a splendid summer transfer window. They strengthened in areas they needed to strengthen, and even at face value, the squad looks much better than it did last season.
Not to mention, the Gunners have much better squad depth than they once did. Unlike a few seasons ago, one injury won't derail the club's entire season.
Signing multifaceted players like Piero Hincapie has only elevated that depth, and the Ecuador international can cover multiple positions.
But what else about Hincapie sticks out to Arsenal fans?
Piero Hincapie is similar to former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac
Arsenal fans will see flashes of Sead Kolasinac when Piero Hincapie makes his debut. Both players are physically assertive, aggressive in their approach, and can rifle a cannon of a shot home when necessary.
Like Kolasinac, Hincapie is capable of playing full-back or center-back. You wouldn't want to come up against either defender as an attacker, as they're both capable of standing their ground and clattering a player in plain sight.
I get it, this comparison hardly fills Arsenal fans with joy. Kolasinac is by no means a club legend, and he didn't exactly cement himself in the history books. However, no player from his era did. He was simply the right player at the wrong time, as far as the club is concerned.
It's important to remember that since leaving Arsenal, Kolasinac has only improved. He can now be considered one of the best defenders in Italy, which is a country far from short of great defenders.
No less, Kolasinac is a Europa League champion these days. He lifted the trophy in 2024, against Hincapie's Bayer Leverkusen of all teams.
So, their playing styles are similar, and it's about time Arsenal had some proper aggression in their defense. After all, Hincapie will need to be a lot better defensively than Kolasinac was. William Saliba and Gabriel are capable of being aggressive, but they're mellow until provoked.
Hincapie, on the other hand, is aggression first. Both from an offensive and defensive standpoint. This will surely serve him well out wide, as he bombs forward with the ball at his feet like Kolasinac did, and win back possession in the final third like Nacho Monreal did.