Lokomotiv Moscow are now leading the chase to sign Celtic and Newcastle United target Piero Hincapie after making a £6 million bid for the Copa America starlet, as reported by Calciomercato.
Hincapie’s Copa America campaign might have ended with a red card against Brazil but, while the youngster clearly has a lot to learn, his talent and potential is clear to see.
At the age of just 19, Hincapie is already a regular for club and country, having forced his way into the starting XI at Argentine-based outfit Talleres de Cordoba last year.
And a big-money move to Europe appears to be the natural next step, with a whole host of clubs in Britain, Germany, Italy and Russia expressing their interest in a man who has been linked with, amongst others, Steve Bruce’s Newcastle and Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic (Mundo Deportivo).
Will Celtic and Newcastle miss out on Piero Hincapie?
Napoli made an approach earlier this week.
According to Calciomercato, however, the biggest offer so far has come from the Russian capital, Lokomotiv Moscow having slapped down a bid in the region of £6 million.
Talks between Lokomotiv and Talleres are expected to continue over the weekend.
It remains to be seen whether the likes of Newcastle or Celtic respond with a bid of their own but, considering how passive the two clubs have been this summer, don’t hold your breath.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou admitted that he was crying out for new signings after the Glasgow giants suffered Champions League heartbreak for the fourth year in a row, losing 2-1 to Midtjylland in Wednesday’s qualification clash.
Carl Starfelt has arrived from Rubin Kazan, but the fact that Celtic started such a crucial game with Anthony Ralston (22), Stephen Welsh (21) and Dane Murray (18) in the starting XI speaks volumes.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail indeed.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have not spent a single penny this summer and have missed out on some of Steve Bruce’s top defensive targets along the way, including Kristoffer Ajer.
Hincapie has already admitted that he would relish a new adventure in Europe. But it seems unlikely that he will stop off at Parkhead or St James’ Park as his footballing journey gets underway.
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