Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League • England

Tottenham and Arsenal target agrees lucrative deal after Paratici powerplay fails to convince

Ecuador international Piero Hincapie

Tottenham’s efforts to engineer a deal for Arsenal target Piero Hincapie have fallen on deaf ears, with a report claiming a new deal has been agreed.

The Ecuador international, 20, has a growing list of suitors from among Europe’s elite. Piero Hincapie is a left-footed centre-half that is quickly making a name for himself in the Bundesliga.

He joined Bayer Leverkusen for £5.5m in the summer of 2021 when leaving Argentine side CA Talleres.

Hincapie shone in his first season in Europe, making 27 league appearances that also helped establish himself as a regular starter for Ecuador.

He’s become a usual starter with Bayer this season, getting the nod in both of their Champions League clashes. His primary position is centre-back, but he’s often played at left-back in the league this term.

Hincapie is a player on the rise and his displays in Germany have quickly caught the attention of suitors elsewhere.

Calciomercato reported Arsenal are among his admirers along with Italian trio, AC Milan, Roma and Napoli.

Leverkusen reportedly value Hincapie around the £22m mark and Arsenal were known to be targeting a left-footed centre-back for depth over the summer.

They have Gabriel Magalhaes in the position, though their other three centre-halves – William Saliba, Ben White and Rob Holding – are all right-footers.

Tottenham too took note of Hincapie’s rise, with Football Insider stating Spurs chief Fabio Paratici recently held talks with the player’s agent.

Piero Hincapie agrees new deal?

However, according to the same source, Leverkusen have moved swiftly to fend off the growing interest.

It’s claimed Hincapie has ‘reached an agreement in principle’ over a new contract at Leverkusen. His current deal doesn’t expire until 2026, but the new offer will contain far more lucrative terms.

Hincapie could reportedly put pen to paper at any moment, though that might not be the end of the story.

It’s stated the lengthy list of clubs monitoring his progress are unlikely to end their interest in the player.

A new deal with a raised salary will strengthen Leverkusen’s position and go some way to satisfying Hincapie.

However, the spending power of overseas clubs – in the Premier League specifically – can always make German sides sing.

Arsenal and Tottenham both want left-sided centre-halves

The Gunners were heavily linked with Lisandro Martinez before he chose Manchester United.

Arsenal planned to convert the Argentine into a left-back. However, his ability to also play centre-half would’ve solved the issue of backing up Gabriel.

When Martinez moved to Old Trafford, Arsenal signed Oleksandr Zinchenko, though he cannot deputise centrally.

Tottenham, meanwhile, were linked with high profile left-sided centre-backs last summer.

Alessandro Bastoni and Pau Torres were among those in the frame. Ultimately, Tottenham took a more cautious approach when landing Clement Lenglet on loan.

The Barcelona star is unlikely to be the long-term option on the left of Antonio Conte’s back three. Hincapie could be, but his impending new Leverkusen deal will make a deal doubly difficult.

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