Tottenham Hotspur ‘will try again’ for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, journalist Christian Falk, who has a column for CaughtOffside, has told GiveMeSport.
Spurs are believed to be in the market for a central defender as they continue to search for a natural option on the left-hand-side of their back three.
Tottenham Hotspur transfer news – Piero Hincapie
Fabrizio Romano revealed on a recent instalment of his Here We Go podcast that he believes Tottenham are looking to make a head start on their summer transfer business.
“Also wanted to add on Tottenham that they will have some talks also for Piero Hincapie,” he said. “The centre-back of Bayer Leverkusen, Ecuadorian player, very good player also appreciated by Italian clubs.
“But Tottenham will have some conversation now with the idea of signing him in the summer. So, Hincapie is also on Tottenham’s list.”
Antonio Conte was eager to sign a left-footed centre-back ahead of the current campaign but had to settle for the acquisition of Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan from Barcelona.
Hincapie still has three and a half years left to run on his Leverkusen contract, though, meaning he is unlikely to come cheaply.
What has Falk said about Hincapie?
Falk has told GMS that Tottenham made a €40 million (£35.5m) offer for Hincapie over the summer and that they could revive their interest in him.
Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know
He said: “€40 million was the offer we heard that Tottenham made last summer. At this time, the club didn't want to sell him.
“But every season, it's more dangerous that they will lose him, and I think Tottenham will try again. I think it will be a topic for summer because they don't want to sell him, Leverkusen, in the winter.”
Would Hincapie be a good signing?
Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has previously labelled Hincapie a “defensive sensation” and when looking at his statistics, it’s easy to understand why.
The Ecuador international has racked up four goal contributions in 51 appearances for Leverkusen while putting up some eye-catching underlying numbers.
As per FBref, the 21-year-old has ranked in the 96th percentile for completed dribbles, 93rd percentile for progressive passes received, 91st for expected assists, 89th for blocks, 87th for tackles, and 84th for shot-creating actions amongst his positional peers over the last year.
Hincapie could be a quality addition to Tottenham’s backline, therefore, if Fabio Paratici makes another move, providing a natural balance to the heart of their defence.