Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal have no intention to sell Piero Hincapié in January and no desire to change their back four. The swap talk with Barcelona is still being discussed, but Romano’s line is that the move is not happening. Arsenal have eight league wins from nine games and have shipped only five goals, which explains why they are comfortable standing still.
Arsenal's defensive stance
Romano said on teamtalk.com that Arsenal are “super happy with the players they have” and that Hincapié is “a very important player for Mikel Arteta,” capable of covering both centre-back and left-back. That covers the football side as well as the squad-management side. With only 46 Premier League minutes this season, Hincapié has not yet become a regular, but Arsenal still view him as part of the defensive set-up rather than a piece to move on.
The club’s numbers back up that caution. They are top of the Premier League, and a back line that has conceded just five goals in nine matches is not the obvious place to start tinkering. Romano’s view is straightforward, Arsenal do not want a January defensive shake-up, and the Hincapié route looks closed.
Where Arsenal could still act
Romano did leave one door open. He said Arsenal can be “opportunistic” in January and that if there is the right opportunity, especially in attack, they can make something happen, but it has to be the right player under the right conditions.
He also said a new signing up front is something he would not rule out, although as of 6 November he would not guarantee a striker or forward. That is a more cautious position than the swap chatter around Hincapié, and it fits Arsenal’s current mood. They are not chasing change at the back, but they may still look for the right attacking deal if one comes up before the window opens in earnest.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
