Tottenham Hotspur definitely have an interest in potentially bringing in the Ecuadorian centre-back Piero Hincapie in the summer.
What’s the latest?
Over the January transfer window, Spurs did not bring in a new centre-back despite the north London club having such a poor defensive record this season.
Antonio Conte himself admitted that it was not a position that he felt needed to be addressed over the course of the January window.
However, there have been reports suggesting the Lilywhites do hold an interest in the Bayer Leverkusen defender, Hincapie, over the summer.
And speaking on The Tottenham Way podcast, journalist Dan Kilpatrick has claimed Hincapie is on the list for the summer transfer window:
(54:30) “I think Spurs need a top centre-half and there’s talk of this guy from Leverkusen, he’s definitely of interest, Piero Hincapie.”
“I think he’s kind of on the list for the summer. I think two top centre-halves.”
‘Neymar-like’
Despite being a strong centre-back, Hincapie has previously likened his style of play to that of the Brazilian Neymar given his comfort on the ball:
“I used to score a lot of goals. I was like Neymar, I didn’t dribble as much as him but I was a great goalscorer. I even took free kicks! Maybe that’s why I’m now a centre-back who likes to go forward,” Hincapie said.”
Reports have suggested Conte is now keen to strengthen his defence in the summer and has a long-standing interest in the Ecuadorian centre-back.
This is a player who has been an integral part of Leverkusen’s side this season with 21 appearances to his name across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).
In comparison to Eric Dier, Hincapie has provided Leverkusen with more tackles per 90 minutes with the England defender not even recording an average of one per game (via Fbref).
With the belief that Spurs will look to bring in two centre-halves over the summer transfer window, it would suggest Spurs are looking for a central and left-sided centre-back.
And Hincapie is a player who could cover both positions with the 21-year-old having played both centrally and at left-back this season.