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Tottenham: Spurs priced out of Piero Hincapie deal
Tottenham Hotspur are unwilling to match Bayer Leverkusen’s £80m valuation of defender Piero Hincapie.
The Lowdown: Hincapie targeted
It was reported at the end of December that Antonio Conte had spoken to the Spurs hierarchy and personally requested the Ecuador centre-back, with rumours of a move to north London persisting throughout this month’s transfer window.
Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth confirmed that Tottenham were looking at signing the 21-year-old at the start of January, while Christian Falk has more recently detailed that the Premier League club have continued to keep an eye on him.
The Latest: Huge valuation
According to The Sun, the Lilywhites are exploring a deal for the centre-back, with Conte placing him high on his shortlist of targets, although a January deal is not looking likely.
The 21-year-old is said to be happy at his current club, where he is still learning his trade, and Leverkusen have set a valuation of £80m, which Spurs are unwilling to match.
The Verdict: Worth the money?
Football scout Jacek Kulig has gushed over the Ecuadorian, hailing him as a ‘top, top, player’, while also claiming that he could go on to be a ‘future legend’, and it is clear to see why the youngster has received such high praise.
The starlet is very assured in possession, as indicated by his ranking in the 96th percentile for dribbles per 90 compared to other defenders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, and his defensive qualities are also up to scratch.
An average of 2.15 tackles per 90 in the same timeframe places him in the 87th percentile, with this figure also far higher than those amassed by Eric Dier and Ben Davies, which indicates that he could be a real upgrade to Spurs’ backline if they take the plunge on him.
However, an £80m price tag is far too high for a player who is still relatively inexperienced, with 2022/23 being just Hincapie’s second season playing at a high level in Europe, and Tottenham should look to either negotiate a lower transfer fee or turn their focus towards alternative targets.
