Arsenal’s ‘warrior’ praised by Xabi Alonso despite limited game time under Mikel Arteta

Arsenal brought in Hincapie on loan from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer.

With Jakub Kiwior moving to Porto, Mikel Arteta turned to the Ecuadorian defender as his replacement.

The 23-year-old had already worked with Alonso at Leverkusen before joining Arsenal.

During his time under Alonso, Hincapie made 121 appearances and played a key role in their Bundesliga title win in the 2023/24 season.

Recently, the Real Madrid coach has spoken highly of Hincapie, calling him a ‘warrior’ and praising his qualities on and off the ball.

Speaking to Extra, he said: “I have a lot of appreciation for him. It was a pleasure to train him. Piero is a modern defender, very adaptable and with great reading of the game.

“He has more confidence with the ball and is improving his decision-making. Now, we see him playing precise diagonal passes and making those runs from behind.”

The former midfielder added: “For me, he is not just an emperor; he is a warrior. He has a constant commitment to his work and an ambition that infects the team. He is a top-level player!”

Mikel Arteta consulted Xabi Alonso before signing Piero Hincapie

The relationship between Alonso and Arteta goes way back. Both grew up in the Basque region and played together at Real Sociedad, maintaining their friendship over the years.

Following Hincapie’s arrival at the Emirates, Arteta confirmed he spoke with the former Leverkusen manager before making the move official.

“Yes, for sure [I spoke to Alonso], I had to. Someone like him that I know so well, trust him, and who had him for a few years, it is very valuable information to have,” he began by saying, according to the Evening Standard.

“He [Alonso] was super complimentary of him [Hincapie] for many different reasons, and it was good to confirm what I saw, and some of the things that you obviously learn from that conversation that you probably were not very aware of.”