Arsenal aim to brick up defensive wall

Arsenal have signed 23-year-old Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié on a season-long loan from Bayer Leverkusen and handed him the No. 5 shirt.

Hincapié brings significant experience — a Bundesliga title, 100+ appearances for Leverkusen and nearly 50 caps for Ecuador — and is praised for his versatility, intelligence and temperament.

The move is widely viewed as short-term insurance for Arsenal's defence rather than a guaranteed long-term solution; Hincapié has this season to prove he can be more than a stopgap.