Arsenal set to hijack second Spurs transfer as David Ornstein drops major update in £52m pursuit

Arsenal are set to hijack a second Tottenham transfer following the signing of Eberechi Eze as David Ornstein has dropped a major update.

Arsenal have splashed the cash this summer, having snapped up the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi.

Gyokeres, who issued a message to his critics after his brace against Leeds United last weekend, cost the Gunners £64 million while they shelled out £60 million to acquire Zubimendi.

And the club are working on further reinforcements ahead of next month's transfer deadline, having unveiled Eze against Leeds.

According to Ornstein, Arsenal are 'working on a deal' to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen.

The deal, however, is subject to player exits as they look to balance their books, having signed seven new players this summer.

Hincapie, who can play as a centre-back or a left-back, is under contract at Leverkusen until 2029, but has informed the club of his desire to leave this summer.

Piero Hincapie in action for Bayer Leverkusen. Image: Getty

The 23-year-old has a release clause of €60 million (£52 million), although, per the report, efforts are being made to lower that fee to a more realistic market value.

Hincapie's preference is to join Arsenal, who are ready to push for him should departures at the Emirates materialise.

Ornstein's report comes just hours after Fabrizio Romano claimed Spurs had made an approach for the Ecuadorian.

They proposed a loan deal with an obligation to trigger his release clause next summer and started discussing personal teams.

But it appears Arsenal are set to pip their cross-city rivals to the signing of Hincapie - just like they did with Eze.

Arsenal beat Tottenham to the signing of Eberechi Eze. Image: Getty

If Arsenal can get the deal over the line, Hincapie, who has featured prominently on the club's recruitment lists for some time, would be the second defender to arrive this summer following the transfer of Cristhian Mosquera, who joined from Valencia for £17 million.

Who could Arsenal sell this summer?

As mentioned, Arsenal have signed seven new players this summer.

An eighth signing could be on the way if the club can successfully offload players ahead of the September 1 deadline.

Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are among the players who could be let go.

Porto are pursuing a move for Kiwior, while Fulham are interested in signing Nelson after he enjoyed a loan spell at Craven Cottage last season.