£34m defender shines in World Cup opener after claims Tottenham could push to sign him in January – opinion

Add as preferred source on Google

Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie shined in the World Cup opener for Ecuador yesterday, after claims Tottenham Hotspur could push to sign him in January.

Antonio Conte bolstered his defensive options over the summer after bringing in Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona.

The Frenchman has looked like a solid addition so far but with the move looking to be a temporary one, Spurs could be eyeing a left-sided centre back in the upcoming transfer windows.

Calciomercato reported last month that both Tottenham and Arsenal are looking at Hincapie with ‘some interest’.

The 20-year-old lined up for Ecuador last night as they got their World cup campaign off to a brilliant start. And the £34 million-rated defender put in an impressive display in the backline.

Hincapie shines in World Cup opener

A first-half brace from Enner Valencia secured La Tri an important three points but Hincapie stood out from centre-back.

The Leverkusen man looked composed on the ball, displaying brilliant ball-playing abilities from the backline. According to WhoScored, he completed 97.2 percent of his 71 passes during the game.

While Ecuador didn’t have much defending to do yesterday, Hincapie dealt with the Qatar attackers with ease.

He looked a dominant figure in the backline and certainly stood out in an impressive Ecuador side.

Spurs have been on the lookout for defensive reinforcements after being linked with moves for Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol over the summer.

Conte’s men have brought in Lenglet but he looks set to return to Spain at the end of the season, after the club did not add a buy option into the deal.

Hincapie seems to possess the required qualities to play in Conte’s backline and could add some much-needed composure to the defence.

Spurs have often struggled to play out effectively from the back this season, especially in the absence of Cristian Romero in recent weeks.

At just 20, the Leverkusen seems to fit the usual profile of a player Spurs would target too and looks to have a bright future ahead of him.