Tottenham have been dealt a transfer blow as defensive target Piero Hincapie has signed a new contract with Bayer Leverkusen, tying him to the German club until 2027.
The Ecuadorian centre-back, who is left-footed and plays on the left side of a back three normally, was on the Spurs radar across last summer, and reports in Germany claim that Tottenham returned with a verbal offer in January for the 21-year-old.
Any deal, however, has now become significantly harder, with the defender penning a new contract that will see him add 18 months to his old deal, and will not contain a release clause, meaning that it will take a massive fee to prise him away from Leverkusen.
✍️ 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣7️⃣ #Bayer04 hat den Vertrag mit @pierohincapie vorzeitig verlängert. ⚫️🔴😍
Mehr Infos 👉 https://t.co/rjHOODBVsv#Werkself | #Hincapie pic.twitter.com/7MfrCN6hoW
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) February 12, 2023
They didn’t promise me too much here, but as a young player at the highest level they gave me the playing times I wanted,” Hincapie told the official media team. “I was able to establish myself here and also consolidate my position in the national team. It’s a huge motivation for me to continue my achievements in the coming years and to aim for titles with Bayer 04.”
Tottenham remain in the market for defensive reinforcements, with Clement Lenglet set to return to Barcelona at the end of his loan spell, though there is reportedly a £6m option to buy available to the lilywhites should they choose to exercise it.
Meanwhile, Ben Davies continues to deputise on the left of a back three, and the drop off from Eric Dier and Cristian Romero is massive, the latter’s importance shown in Tottenham’s recent 4-1 defeat to Leicester City, for which he was suspended.
