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Tottenham Hotspur: Lilywhites still have an ‘eye’ on Piero Hincapie
Tottenham Hotspur are still keeping an ‘eye’ on Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, who has been a long-term target of Antonio Conte, according to journalist Christian Falk.
The Lowdown: Hincapie a long-term target
The Lilywhites reportedly submitted a €40m (£35m) offer for the 21-year-old last summer but the figure wasn’t deemed to be enough by the German giants, with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Chelsea also name-checked to be monitoring his situation by the same report.
The Sun, however, are now claiming that a deal for a fee in the region of £20m could be available, a surprising revelation considering his performances for Ecuador at the World Cup, where he played every single minute for his nation.
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Fabio Paratici and the centre-back are in talks regarding a potential move, though it’s more likely to take place in the summer rather than this month.
The Latest: Falk’s comments
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Falk revealed that Spurs have maintained their interest from 2022 and backed up reports that they aren’t alone in their pursuit of Hincapie.
“Tottenham still has it’s eye on him, already in the summer, but also Arsenal again and Chelsea are visiting what is happening with him.”
The Verdict: Perfect candidate?
Hincapie has been labelled an ‘Ecuadorian Wall’ by scout Jacek Kulig, and he could be the perfect left-sided central defender that Conte has been looking for.
The Adidas-sponsored player currently averages 2.1 clearances and 1.5 tackles per Bundesliga game and ranks in the 96th percentile for dribbles completed by centre-backs in Europe’s top leagues, showing he has quality on the ball to pair with his tenacity off it.
Spurs would also be receiving versatility with Hincapie’s ability to operate at left-back, making this a bargain of a deal should they be able to secure his services for £20m, potentially locking down the left-centre-back role under Conte or being able to transition to a back-four if a manager change were to occur.
