Tottenham are stepping up efforts to bolster Thomas Frank’s side with just a week left in the summer transfer window.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Whites have set their sights on Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie and have already drawn up an offer.
Romano reports that Tottenham are ready to take Hincapie on an initial loan deal with an obligation to make his transfer permanent next summer.
The 23-year-old has four years left on his contract with Leverkusen, so the Germans are in no rush to cash in. But he has expressed his desire to leave, so they won’t stand in his way.
Hincapie has a €60 million (£52m) release clause in his contract, so Leverkusen would expect interested suitors to match that fee if a deal is to be agreed.
Tottenham are ready to meet their demands and have already opened talks with the player’s camp to agree personal terms. But recent developments may have thrown a wrench into their plans.
Arsenal also want Hincapie
Tottenham will have to face serious competition from Arsenal if they want to sign Hincapie this summer.
According to The Athletic, the Gunners have also entered the race for the highly rated Ecuadorian centre-back as they look to bolster their defensive options.
The only upper hand Tottenham have is that Arsenal are reluctant to match Leverkusen’s asking price.
They want to negotiate a lower, more realistic figure, but are also encouraged by Hincapie, who would reportedly favour a move to Arsenal over Tottenham.
Arsenal also need player departures to create space for Hincapie and are working on offloading the likes of Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Viera, and Reiss Nelson.
If Arsenal win the race for Hinicapie, it would be the second time they have hijacked Tottenham’s transfer plans after beating them to the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.
It’ll undoubtedly be a slap in the face, but Tottenham can’t afford to duel on it. They must explore other options with just days left in the transfer window.