Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié makes permanent move to Arsenal during World Cup

Arsenal on Thursday completed the permanent signing of Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié ahead of his country’s crucial group match against Germany at the World Cup. Hincapié fulfilled the terms of a full-time contract with the English champions during last season’s loan spell with Bayer Leverkusen. He will officially be an Arsenal player from Wednesday. Hincapié, 24, made 39 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal last season, mainly sharing left-back duties with Riccardo Calafiori. Hincapié played the full game in each of Ecuador’s first two group matches at the World Cup – a 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast and a 0-0 draw against Curaçao. Associated Press reporting.