Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie.
According to a report from Football Insider, Piero Hincapie has now signed a new contract with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. And they will demand a fee of over £50 million for his services. The Ecuadorian defender is a target for Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.
It is no secret that Tottenham need to bring in defensive reinforcements at the end of the season, and Hincapie has emerged as a viable target. However, the 21-year-old will cost a premium of £50 million now. And it will be interesting to see if Daniel Levy is prepared to sanction his signing.
The 21-year-old has proven himself in the Bundesliga and was quite impressive in the recently-concluded World Cup as well. Hincapie has all the attributes to develop into a top-class defender. And he could sort out Tottenham’s defensive unit for the foreseeable future.
Hincapie has proven himself in the Bundesliga and will be excited to make a step up in his career now. The opportunity to play for Tottenham in the Premier League is likely to be an attractive proposition. And he would get to work with a world-class coach like Antonio Conte as well.
The player certainly has the potential to justify the £50 million fee in the long run. But Tottenham have other priorities as well, and it remains to be seen whether they can afford to pay the asking price for him. Furthermore, they will face competition from cash-rich Newcastle United, who are in need of defensive reinforcements as well.
Eddie Howe has a solid defensive unit at his disposal, but he could certainly use upgrades. Sven Botman has proven to be an exceptional signing for the Magpies. And Eddie Howe will be looking to bring in a partner for him of similar quality. Hincapie could be the ideal partner at the back for the Dutchman, and it remains to be seen whether the Magpies can pull it off.
Newcastle are well placed to secure UEFA Champions League qualification. And they should be able to attract players of Hincapie’s quality if they manage to finish in the top four. They have no shortage of resources either. So the £50 million plus asking price should not be a problem for them. On top of that, Newcastle have an ambitious project, and it would hardly be a surprise if the player is tempted to join them at the end of the season.